The group of fraudsters stole around EGP 2.7 million through an estimated 13 fraud incidents
After news of a Banque Misr customer becoming a victim of phishing incidents earlier this week, banks operating in the Egyptian market have been sending out new warnings on possible fraudulent activities and schemes.
The warnings were released after it was revealed that several Banque Misr customers became victims of phishing incidents where their accounts in the bank were accessed by unknown fraudsters after receiving their bank cards’ pin numbers.
The group of fraudsters stole around EGP 2.7 million through an estimated 13 fraud incidents, which are all under investigation, said Chairman of the bank Mohamed El-Etreby.
The Commercial International Bank (CIB) – Egypt, National Bank of Egypt (NBE), Housing and Development Bank, Arab African International Bank (AAIB), and other banks sent warning messages to their customers.
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In a statement, Banque Misr pointed out that it has been sending text messages to customers warning them of fraudulent messages and calls, which they may receive from people claiming to be employees in Banque Misr or any of the government agencies requesting they provide them with information about them or their bank accounts, asking customers to report these behaviors.
El-Etreby warned citizens not to give away any banking information or pin numbers to anyone, even if it is for the bank’s customer service.
The bank has also posted several explainers on their social media channels to explain and warn customers against the attacks.
Banque Misr claimed full responsibility for the stolen funds of its clients. The bank affirmed that it took all measures to protect depositors’ money in accordance with the regulations and laws. The prosecution opened an investigation into the incident.
In response to the news of the fraud, the bank also paused electronic transactions from bank accounts to prepaid Meeza cards.
Social media reports alleged that fraudsters claiming to be Banque Misr employees called a number of bank clients and asked them for personal information. The victims said large sums of money were withdrawn from their accounts without their knowledge.
