Phone Scams
Malicious people may pretend to be employees of a company you know and trust—the caller ID might even show the number of the bank or company.
When you pick up the phone, they might talk about a "problem" that needs immediate action for your protection, such as fraud related to your account. They often try to get you to make a transfer or send money while instructing you on how to "fix" the problem.
Scammers usually try to trick you by talking about the following topics:
· Membership fee refund,
· Insurance fee refund,
· Fake reports claiming that your name is on a list of criminal organizations and demanding money for deletion,
· Requesting your personal/financial information (Internet banking password, card password, mobile confirmation code transmitted via SMS, etc.) after gaining your trust over the phone.
When you receive such requests, remember that our bank will never call you or ask for your Internet banking password or mobile confirmation code delivered via SMS.
Always be wary of legitimate-sounding calls, texts, e-mails, etc., from individuals who tell you something is wrong with your account or ask for personal information to verify your identity.
In such cases, immediately hang up the phone. Avoid clicking on any links in e-mails from these callers or calling any phone numbers they provide.
Instead, find the contact information on the bank or company's official website and call that number to find out whether there is a problem with your account.
Social Media Scams
Social media scams are frauds in which malicious people contact users via social networks like Facebook, Instagram, or X (formerly known as Twitter). Social media scammers usually aim to communicate with users in a realistic scenario to seize their personal and financial information.
Scammers usually try to influence and convince you through social media with various scenarios, such as participating in a giveaway campaign or requesting an interest-free loan application. If you respond positively to their requests, they may ask for your personal and financial information (such as an Internet banking password or mobile confirmation code delivered via SMS).
Our advertisements and campaigns are organized only through our bank's corporate social media accounts.
In order to ensure that the campaign you see on a social network is organized by our Bank, check for a blue check mark next to all brands owned by Kuveyt Türk Participation Bank.
SMS or E-Mail Scams
SMS or e-mail scams typically lure you into clicking on a malicious link sent via SMS, e-mail, or social media. These malicious links usually lead you to a fake website to steal vital information.
E-mails, social media direct messages, and SMS messages that appear to be from our Bank may feature the following or similar statements:
· "Your Internet banking (password) has expired,"
· "You have earned Gold Points,"
· "Credit card fee refund,"
· "Insurance refund."
Once you click the provided link, you will be directed to a website where you must enter your personal and financial information.
In such cases, remember that Kuveyt Türk never sends you e-mails or SMS messages requesting critical information. Plus, our Bank never provides a link that directs you to the login page of Kuveyt Türk Internet Branch. Never share your information in such a case.
Check whether the welcome message is correct when logging into Kuveyt Türk Internet Branch.
If in doubt, do not enter any information. Call Kuveyt Türk Contact Center (444 0 123) and inform the customer representative.
Malware and Related Frauds
Your computers, smartphones, and tablets can be exposed to malware in various ways as part of wire fraud. The main methods used in wire fraud are:
· Fake page links listed in search engines,
· Advertising and promotional links on social media or websites,
· Links sent through SMS messages pretending to be from your bank,
· Fake apps with malicious content.
The following precautions may help you protect yourself from such scams:
· Do not download apps from sources other than official stores.
· Always keep the operating systems of your mobile devices in the latest version and set the update setting to automatic.
· Outdated software may contain many security vulnerabilities that have been detected or have yet to be detected. Therefore, update your device regularly.
· Always install a reliable antivirus program on your computer and mobile devices.
· If your device is infected with a virus, get support from an authorized technical service.
· Do not open e-mails and attachments from people you do not know or trust.
· Always run an antivirus scan before opening files you downloaded from the Internet, such as software, pictures, videos, etc.
· In case of doubt, do not enter any information and inform Kuveyt Türk Customer Contact Center (444 0 123).
AI Scams
While AI scams might greatly vary, the most common method is where scammers use artificial intelligence to clone the voices of your relatives. The cloned voice is used to make a call and create the perception that your loved ones are desperately asking you for money to get out of a form of danger.
Scammers create fake voice calls by using direct voice recordings of relatives to train the AI. This makes the calls sound realistic and allows them to be used for malicious purposes, such as stealing your vital information.
So be very careful with friends or family who call you suddenly from an unknown number and ask for help. If you suspect anything, hang up immediately and make the call yourself. Alternatively, you can call someone else who knows them to confirm whether they are really in need of help.
Official Institution Impersonation Scams
Scammers might impersonate official institutions or officials, such as police or prosecutors, to lure you into sending them money. They might know your personal information and share some of them with you to gain your trust. Once they gain your trust, they will attempt to convince or intimidate you to send money.
Scammers often employ various methods to create the perception that they really are officials and that you are in legal trouble. Sometimes, several scammers might work together to make the scenario appear more realistic.
So, if you are contacted by individuals claiming to be officials from law enforcement, government, public institutions, or banks asking for money, never trust them. In such a case, hang up the phone immediately and contact the institution yourself.
Visit this page regularly for updated information about safe and secure banking. For the best banking solutions, prefer Kuveyt Türk Internet Branch.