Financial fraud targeting bank card security

Consumer protection organizations in the United Kingdom and Poland have issued warnings regarding sophisticated social engineering scams targeting bank card security.

In the United Kingdom, the consumer group Which? identified a ‘dangerous’ scam where fraudsters pose as bank security, police, or regulators via cold calls. Criminals manipulate victims into approving card payments or sharing one-time codes under the guise of ‘blocking’ or ‘reversing’ fraudulent activity. Which? noted that victims may face difficulties recovering funds because existing protections like chargeback are often designed for unauthorised charges rather than coerced payments.

In Poland, the Financial Ombudsman reported similar tactics involving multi-layered social engineering. Fraudsters may use phone calls, SMS messages appearing to be from the National Bank of Poland, or falsified documents via WhatsApp—such as fake police reports—to convince victims of data leaks or legal proceedings. One reported instance involved a victim losing 200,000 PLN after being misled into handing over a card to a courier.