Internet banking scams worsen in Japan

According to the National Police Agency (NPA), some 48 million yen (approx. $518,000) was transmitted electronically from the accounts of 63 Internet banking users without them even knowing of it during the period between June and December of 2012. Shockingly, this January alone saw another 22 million yen ($237,500) from the accounts of 20 users stolen in a similar modus operandi. According to the NPA, sophisticated computer-based scams have been employed by the culprits, which the unknowing consumer easily fell for.

Perhaps the most common is where users are tricked into entering a fake portal site that looks like the authentic site of a major bank. They are then asked to provide their personal information, which include the passwords they use for internet banking. E-mails sent to the victims even told them to take precautionary measures and led them to a supposed secure webpage. The victims of this scam were customers of five major financial institutions in Japan, which included Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. Culprits also obtained private banking information through the use of a virus, wherein the victims will go to the authentic website of the bank but a fake data entry appears courtesy of the virus. The NPA believes that this has been used in the cases recorded this year.

NPA officials stressed the importance of updating anti-virus software programs regularly, as these will help protect a user?s computer from the constantly evolving viruses spreading in the Internet. They reminded the public to verify if the emails they are getting are from legitimate banking websites. They also point out that banks don?t ask users to print their personal identification numbers in their entirety. But, if there is still doubt, they could always make bank transactions via telephone or personally through a teller.

[via Asia News Network]

Source: http://japandailypress.com/internet-banking-scams-worsen-in-japan-1123109

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