# European banking sector payment fraud trends

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/european-banking-sector-payment-fraud-trends
> Updated: 2026-10-19T11:41:04.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2.

Financial institutions and regulators in Europe are reporting significant increases in fraudulent payment activities. In Hungary, Erste Bank identified a surge in sophisticated tactics, including telephone-based scams that manipulate victims into downloading malicious applications. These scams utilize mobile NFC functions to capture card data and attempt to obtain PIN codes. The bank reported that criminals attempted to steal nearly 7 billion HUF through approximately 21,000 cases in the first half of the year.

In Ireland, the Central Bank has noted a rise in the value of fraudulent payments, with total losses reaching €179.04 million in 2025. Specifically, fraudulent e-money payments rose by 57.7% compared to the previous year. In response, officials have called for stronger safeguards for tokenized services and emphasized the need for board-level oversight as firms integrate artificial intelligence and distributed ledger technology into digital payment landscapes.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-19: Central Bank of Ireland urges safeguards amid rising payment fraud

The Central Bank of Ireland is urging payment firms to strengthen safeguards as fraudulent payment values rose to €179.04 million in 2025, amid a growing consumer shift toward digital and tokenized services.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/central-bank-of-ireland-urges-safeguards-amid-rising-payment-fraud

### 2026-10-14: Erste Bank warns of rising fraudulent tactics and NFC-based scams

Erste Bank warns of new NFC-based phone scams and reports that criminals attempted to steal nearly 7 billion HUF in the first half of the year.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/erste-bank-warns-of-rising-fraudulent-tactics-and-nfc-based-scams

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Cite as: European banking sector payment fraud trends. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/european-banking-sector-payment-fraud-trends