Call To Beware Of Bogus Emails Using BNM's Name

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's central bank, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has cautioned the members of the public on bogus emails using its name which purportedly required the recipient to click and download an attachment. In a statement Friday, the central bank said, the members of the public should ignore these emails and not to download the attachment. BNM has identified the modus operandi of the bogus email by fraudsters to deceive the victims. It said the intended victims would receive emails entitled, "Security Verification", purportedly from BNM informing them that there was an incoming payment for their account. "The victims are required to complete security verification by downloading the attachment provided. "Once the person clicks/downloads on the link provided in the attachment, they would then be directed to a fake website requesting disclosure of personal financial details such as credit or debit cards details including card verification value or other personal identification numbers (PIN)," it said. Financial institutions, including credit card issuers and BNM and all banking institutions would never request for personal banking information when contacting customers, be it via telephone calls, short messaging service (SMS) or emails," it said. As a preventive measure, BNM said, members of the public were advised to use web browsers that were up-to-date with built-in phishing filters. "They should not trust emails, calls or SMS claiming cash wins, incoming fund transfers/payments or refunds and requests for personal banking information," it said. The central bank said the members of the public should contact their respective banks or contact the Association of Banks in Malaysia's toll-free service, ABMConnect, at 1-300-88-9980 when in doubt of the email, SMS or calls. -- BERNAMA