The Central Bank warns about financial frauds carried out by visiting apartments under the pretext of providing utility services.

Dear citizens,

Recently, the Central Bank of RA has been receiving alerts regarding a new financial fraud scheme.

In particular, unknown persons (hereinafter, fraudsters), pretending to be employees of a utility company, establish contact with citizens under the pretext of providing services or performing inspections, after which they visit their apartments. During direct contact in apartments, fraudsters, misleading citizens, gain access to their personal data, and then carry out registration, identification and remote identity verification of citizens in mobile applications of financial organizations operating in the territory of the Republic of Armenia (including through face capture).

As a result, without the knowledge and consent of citizens, using their personal data, user accounts and bank accounts are opened in various banks, as well as consumer loans are formulated remotely, causing unforeseen financial obligations for citizens, and the received credit funds are immediately transferred to the bank accounts of third parties.

The Central Bank of RA urges citizens to exercise maximum vigilance and at least to protect themselves from financial fraud.

Check the identity of the “employees” who visited you. request documents proving the fact of being an employee of any company from a person posing as an employee of that company and/or establish contact with the given company using the phone numbers listed on the latter’s official website.

Do not provide documents (including ID), personal and bank details. do not share your personal data, passwords or one-time verification codes (OTP) received via SMS, personal documents, including identity documents, to other persons.

Do not allow other persons to register with your data. do not allow other people to use your personal data, take photos/videos of your face on unfamiliar/unclear and inaccessible platforms (especially with equipment that does not belong to you).

In case of a suspicious situation or possible fraud, immediately contact the relevant bank to block banking applications or transactions with bank accounts, as well as contact law enforcement authorities.