Scammers have started using Google search advertising to direct people to fake websites created in the name of SEB.
On behalf of clients who enter their data on fake pages, scammers attempt to make payments and seize bank card information.
"The scheme works as follows: a person searches on Google using the keywords 'SEB' or 'SEB internet bank', and instead of the official website, several advertising links appear at the top of the search results, leading to fraudulent pages. This is an unusual type of attack: scammers do not contact the client directly, but catch them at the moment they are searching for the bank. Since many automatically click on the first search results, the perpetrators exploit this habit," explained Heigo Tark, head of the fraud prevention department at SEB Estonia.
According to Tark, a person may not notice that the link is an advertisement or that the web address does not match the official bank website. "Although not everyone who clicked the link has been affected, we have already recorded dozens of cases where people entered their data and granted access to scammers. In such situations, it is difficult to predict what actions may be taken on behalf of the client in the future," he added.
The official bank website should only be accessed at seb.ee (seb.lv) or through a previously saved bookmark.
Links marked 'Sponsored' do not always lead to the official website of the organization. Before entering data, it is always advisable to check the website address in the browser's address bar, as well as the functionality of the page, which may differ from the official one. In case of doubt, it is necessary to abort the operation and immediately contact the bank, advises SEB.
Leave a comment