The recent legal tightening and police measures have resulted in a 30 per cent reduction in online fraud over the past six months, the Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior announced at a press conference in Budapest on Monday.
Bence Rétvári reported that thanks to the activities of the so-called Kiber 300 group established by the police a year and a half ago, 819 suspects have been interrogated, and
the court has ordered the arrest of 114 individuals.
He added that from August, further measures are expected that will make the accountability of online fraudsters more effective and will complicate the fraudsters’ operations.
Rétvári pointed out that as parts of our lives have moved online, criminals have increasingly tried to scam us out of money in the digital space, a trend particularly noticeable in crime statistics following the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the police set up the Kiber 300 investigative group, and laws were introduced requiring banks to enhance effective protection against fraudsters, he noted. He highlighted that criminals often linked to foreign, primarily Ukrainian, organisations attempt to defraud bank customers. Suspicious signs include phishing messages aimed at obtaining banking details that are written in inaccurate, incorrect Hungarian. Phishing messages commonly appear on dating and crypto-investment sites, or online marketplaces, where fraudsters attempt to obtain banking data. Messages are often sent in the name of the police or tax office, he listed. Regarding this, Bence Rétvári pointed out that bank officers never ask for personal banking details.
Deputy Chief of the Veszprém County Police Headquarters Tamás Suszter reported that within the framework of the police’s Matrix Project, 23 Hungarian and Ukrainian individuals were suspected of online fraud in Veszprém County, causing a total damage of HUF 267 million to 35 victims, some of which has been recovered. The investigation began after a fraudster posing as a bank officer withdrew HUF 5.8 million from a victim’s account in Balatonfüred last August. During the investigation, the police tracked down the strawmen who withdrew the money from various accounts in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg and Heves counties, leading them to uncover the national organization. Colonel Suszter mentioned that the frauds are often linked to call centres operating in Ukraine.
Head of the Cyber Strategic Department of the National Police Headquarters Gergő Álmos emphasized that the Kiber 300 investigative unit, thanks to technological developments, can now effectively tackle online fraudsters. They have utilized both EU and domestic grant opportunities for these developments. He stressed that everyone should think twice before responding to messages related to their financial or banking activities. In other words,
do not try to manage your finances while sitting on a tram.
He also pointed out that during major sporting events, such as the European Football Championship or the upcoming Olympics, fraudsters often target betting sites, so everyone should pay extra attention.
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