Kazakhstan's National Bank has issued a warning to citizens about a phone scam in which fraudsters pose as couriers and eGov officials, using fake parcel deliveries, SMS codes and calls to gain access to people's money, the website infohub.kz reports.
The scheme begins with a call from someone claiming to be a courier or postal service employee, who tells the victim a parcel has arrived and asks them to read out an SMS code to confirm delivery. The fraudsters deliberately rush the person, citing a courier who is waiting, the risk of losing their place in line, or the need to redo the delivery once the call ends. This creates a sense of urgency and prevents the victim from reading the SMS message carefully.
Once they have the code, the scammers move to the next stage. The victim receives a call from someone posing as an employee of the digital government (eGov). The caller claims the person's account has been hacked and that personal data may have been leaked or copied. To sound more convincing, the fraudsters may say that a "Stop Credit" service has been activated to protect the citizen and that law enforcement or the "National Bank's security service" is monitoring the situation. The call may then be transferred to another member of the scheme. The ultimate goal is to gain access to the victim's money.
A telltale sign of such schemes is psychological pressure. The fraudsters may demand that the victim stay on the line, tell no one about the call and keep the conversation confidential. In some cases, they threaten criminal liability for disclosing information, or claim that ending the call will cancel procedures supposedly meant to protect the person's money and personal data. Such tactics are designed to stop the victim from seeking advice and help from relatives, their bank or law enforcement.
The National Bank advises people to read SMS messages carefully and check the sender, never share SMS codes with anyone, and immediately hang up on a suspicious call and dial the organization's official phone number instead.
"We remind you that National Bank employees do not make audio or video calls, do not service individuals' accounts, do not offer to invest money in mutual investment funds or other financial products, do not provide money insurance, do not ask for passwords or bank card details, and do not carry out cash settlements with the public," the National Bank added.
Kazakhstanis who encounter fraud are advised to file a report with law enforcement. Advice is available from the National Bank's Contact Center at 1477.