Magnus Nilsen (28) had been on a road trip when he saw the two text messages. “Your BankID is now blocked,” it said, followed by a link to a website. He has experienced something similar in the past, and quickly realized that the link “was just rubbish”. – But in view of the fact that BankID on mobile is to be shut down and removed, it is important to get this out to people and say that this is a fraud, quite simply, says Nilsen to news. Magnus Nilsen (28) was on a road trip when he received the fraud messages. Photo: Magnus Nilsen He thus never pressed the link himself. But he is afraid that others could think of doing it. – There are many people who are gullible, and open links and provide information. Many are so afraid of their finances and identity that when they receive such messages they have to do something quickly to get it fixed, he says. 10 tips that can reveal fraud Fraud is built on the means of trust, fear or temptation. Be extra vigilant against inquiries that play on this, whether they come by e-mail, SMS or phone. Fraud attempts are often characterized by the fact that they ask you to do something and it is urgent to do it. Be extra vigilant when you are asked to owe something. Take a break, read through once more and check in another channel whether the inquiry is genuine. If you receive a blackmail threat – cut out parts of the threat text and paste it into an online search engine. You often get hits there that give you an answer as to whether it is a mass mailing and therefore a false threat. Be wary of any attempts to provide card details or personal information in exchange for something else, such as a new phone, a concert ticket or a sum of money. No serious actors where you have an account or other login, such as Netflix, the Norwegian Tax Agency or your bank, will send you a link that they ask you to click on to get to your profile. Do not use such links. Always go to their website to log in to your user account. Businesses should not use services that do not offer two-step verification for login. Businesses should use DMARC or equivalent to prevent being misused for sending spam or fraudulent e-mails. Have good routines for backing up and updating the operating system and software. If you suspect that the e-mail you receive is fake, check that the sender’s address is spelled correctly. Also check the address of any links in the email by hovering over it. Does it look ok? Many fake e-mails are mass mailings that start with “Dear customer” or similar. Limit the amount of scam emails you receive. Use different email addresses for different purposes and train your spam filter. Source: nettvett.no – Do not follow links Head of Communications Hege Steinsland at BankID is clear that the SMS are fraud. The company never sends out SMS with a link. And they do not send SMS when the BankID is blocked. – It’s just to repeat: Don’t follow SMS links like that. If you are wondering about your BankID, you can log into the online bank and see that everything is in order, says Steinsland to news. The phasing out of BankID on mobile began this week. From now on, users must use different apps, depending on the bank they belong to, to log in to services with sensitive personal information. 1.1 million people are now using BankID on the app, according to the communications manager. Steinsland says several people have experienced start-up problems as a result of the move from mobile to app. She believes the fraudsters take advantage of that. Takes advantage of changes in BankID on mobile – It’s not so strange. Half of Norway will change the method from BankID on mobile to apps, so now many people are moving over. And then it is natural that the fraudsters think it is a good time to take advantage of that situation. If you have clicked on such a link, or shared BankID information with actors who should not have it, Steinsland says you should contact the bank and change your password as quickly as possible. Subject director Jorge Jensen at the Consumer Council has not heard of this particular SMS scam before. But he points out that it is becoming an increasingly common method. – There are good fraudsters who are out and about, and even vigilant consumers can be deceived, he says to news. Jensen also believes that the fraudsters follow what kind of changes are taking place in the consumer sector, and adapt accordingly. – The fraudsters are creative When tax-paying Norwegians were waiting for their tax return this spring, several received text messages informing them that their tax settlement was ready. The link in the SMS took you to a website that was almost identical to the Swedish Tax Agency’s. Both the Tax Agency, banks and the police went out to warn at the time. Jorge Jensen is professional director at the Norwegian Consumer Council. Photo: Stig Jaarvik / news – Scammers are creative and find many ways to deceive people. it is clear that when they create such an SMS now, it is because Bank ID is in the process of undergoing changes, he says. The subject director believes that SMS scams abound because it is difficult for the scammers to be caught. – They are not amateurs, they are quite professionals. It is a shame that they are not prosecuted more heavily than they are. It seems that there is little chance of being caught, which is probably why this comes up again and again. The ID lawyer’s fraud advice 1. Notify the banks that you have been defrauded 2. Change all passwords and block your BankID and/or credit card 3. Report the relationship to the police 4. Check whether you are insured against ID fraud 5. Register a credit freeze 6. Check the debt register 7. Ask the banks for information 8. Watch carefully that the mail arrives as normal Source: id-juristen.no If you are unlucky and click on the link, Jensen encourages you to go to the website id-juristen.no for advice. Behind the website are, among others, UiO, several legal aid organizations and the Consumer Council. – There is an overview of what you have to do, and your duties and rights. Otherwise, contact the bank when you realize that you have been deceived. So everyone knows that you must block your account and card.
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