VIDEO: NSS Launches Fight Against Fraud in the Financial Sector Using IT

The National Security Service of Armenia is constantly monitoring the field of information technology within the framework of ensuring information security and combating crime. The goal is to detect possible manifestations of abuses, prevent their spread, and eradicate them.

One of the key missions of national security agencies is not only to uncover and prevent such public danger acts but also to pre-empt criminal intentions, disrupt the further development of illegal behavior, and neutralize imminent negative consequences. For this purpose, the agency supports raising public awareness using its various tools.

It is evident that individuals and criminal groups operating in this sector target mainly middle-aged and vulnerable social strata, capitalizing on their low level of awareness regarding the IT sector. It is no secret that various services are widely advertised online by financial organizations under different names, primarily disseminated through social networks, particularly Facebook.

Among these organizations, there are those that aim to steal money from citizens by offering 'profitable' conditions. Those who agree to these 'profitable' terms inadvertently disclose their personal information to strangers online and make monetary transfers to payment systems such as Idram, QIWI, and others, resulting in becoming victims of fraud.

In order to avoid falling into a vulnerable situation, the National Security Service urges the public to verify the legitimacy of organizations offering financial services in the virtual space before establishing practical relationships or contact with them. This can be done using accessible tools, such as:

1. Searching for information about credit, financial, mortgage, payment organizations, currency exchanges, dealers, their managers, and other financial entities in the relevant section of the Central Bank of Armenia's official website: click here.
2. Receiving information about state registration and issued licenses of credit or financial organizations in the relevant section of the Central Bank of Armenia’s official website: click here.
3. Calling the hotlines of the Central Bank of Armenia: 010-59-26-97, 011-56-19-54, and 011-56-39-50.
4. Verifying the Tax Identification Number (TIN) and its legitimacy, and obtaining information about the organization’s activities through the Ministry of Justice's state register of legal entities (www.e-register.am) and the State Revenue Committee (www.petekamutner.am).
5. Visiting the offices of the organizations involved.
6. Checking the organization's contact details and obtaining information about their managers.
7. Searching online for additional information regarding the organization.
8. Reporting any suspicious behavior or illegal activities to law enforcement agencies.