What are the scams that can empty your bank accounts? - Sadiku: Banks never request information through SMS messages or emails
Have you received emails or phone messages from numbers that pretend to be from your bank, with links asking for your banking details? If so, this was an attempt to steal money from your bank account, using methods like phishing or smishing.
According to AKSK's Cyber Incident Investigation Specialist, Eriola Sadiku, hackers use sophisticated and seemingly genuine messages, making citizens think they are communicating with their bank, with the intention of defrauding them.
"These messages often contain suspicious links that ask you to click to "confirm" or "verify" something, they can be in the form of threats of account closure, or promises of fake rewards and gifts. When the citizen clicks on these links, they can send their sensitive information, such as card number, password or PIN, which is then sent to illegal servers of hackers. This data can be used to commit financial theft and other criminal activities ," said Sadiku.
According to her, these schemes are a quick way to make illegal profits. Many citizens are not aware that they are entering a fake page.
“Phishing cases have increased due to the increasing use of online services and digital banks. Hackers take advantage of the lack of information of citizens, who are often not informed about how to identify these suspicious messages. It is very important to emphasize that banks never request personal data through SMS messages or emails.”
But what are the steps that citizens should follow to avoid falling prey to these scams? Sadiku says that to avoid falling prey to phishing attacks, it is important to always check the URL/link of the pages you visit, making sure it is accurate and reliable, and to avoid clicking on suspicious links.
"Enabling two-factor authentication is an additional security measure that can protect your accounts, while using strong and different passwords for each account will help protect your information. Never share personal information such as card numbers, passwords or one-time codes through suspicious links, as banks do not request such data through SMS messages or emails. You should also avoid using public Wi-Fi for financial transactions and contact the institution directly for any suspicious messages you receive," the Specialist suggested.
Based on statistics from the National Cyber Security Authority, there were 43 cyber incidents in the first half of 2025. The most frequent attacks were DDoS attacks, aimed at disrupting public services, but also 4 phishing attempts, spear phishing, 3 unauthorized network scans, and others.
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