Research: Half of respondents experienced some form of attempted financial fraud

‘With the development of technology, attempts at financial fraud are becoming more frequent and sophisticated. 83 percent of respondents stated that they know that reporting suspicious activities to the bank is the first step in protection. This statistic shows us the success of investing in one of our long-term priorities, which is for every user to recognize abuse and ways to protect their financial data,’ emphasizes Ivan Cvitan, Director of Risk Control, responsible for the Operational Risks and Fraud Management department at Addiko Bank.

The survey conducted among 902 respondents includes 621 clients of Addiko Bank. The results showed that as many as 53 percent of respondents have contacted an unknown entity at least once with the aim of obtaining sensitive data such as PIN or CVV number, and nearly a third of respondents have been a victim of some fraud or know someone who has been a victim of some fraud.

About 40 percent of surveyed users consider themselves very informed about types of financial fraud, while 52 percent are only familiar with some forms.

As many as 59 percent of participants state that they always check the details of the email address from which they received a suspicious inquiry, while three-quarters of them regularly monitor their bank statements – which is a key practice for recognizing suspicious transactions.

Although they are not talked about often enough in society, financial fraud in the digital environment is becoming increasingly widespread and harder to detect, appearing in various forms such as phishing, skimming, and spoofing. To protect citizens in this challenging environment, Addiko Bank continuously invests in education and information, actively contributing to strengthening the financial and digital literacy of citizens of the Republic of Croatia.

– The most important message to banking service users is that passwords and PINs are exclusively their property and that no bank will ever ask them to send these details via email, over the phone, or to update them through intermediaries. Furthermore, online banking should only be accessed through the official bank websites, and they should not open invitations coming from unverified sources. I urge all citizens to find useful information and practical advice on protection on our website Information Security – Addiko Bank Croatia,’ advises Cvitan.

The conducted research, along with other educational activities, is part of a comprehensive initiative aimed at improving financial literacy and security in the digital environment, actively responding to the growing challenges in the online world.