Fraud Just a Click Away

Online banking has become a natural part of life in recent years, but this comes with a risk

Corina Cristea, 19.06.2026, 11:26

Online banking has become a natural part of life in recent years. We pay bills from our phones, transfer money in a matter of seconds, and check our account balances wherever we are. This convenience, however, comes with a risk: cybercriminals are constantly trying to gain access to banking data, passwords, or authentication codes to steal money or personal information. From fake messages and deceptive links to the theft of personal data, the dangers are closer than they seem. For example, 11% of internet users in Germany have been victims of cybercrime in the past year, according to the 2026 Cybersecurity Monitor, recently published by German crime prevention agencies.

At 22%, fraud related to online purchases is the most common category of crime reported by victims, followed by unauthorized access to online accounts, cited by 14% of those affected; fraud related to online banking services, at 13%; and, at nearly the same level, phishing attacks, in which criminals attempt to obtain passwords, banking details, and other sensitive information through fake platforms or messages. The figures vary from country to country, but what is happening in Germany is a widespread phenomenon.

Silviu Stahie, a cybersecurity specialist at a major Romanian company that provides protection for IT systems told us:

“Financial data is generally considered highly sensitive, but the main problem is that smartphone users, in general, do not consider this data important enough. They treat it a bit casually, something attackers are well aware of, and they build their messages and campaigns around this mindset: namely, that people don’t pay much attention to their financial data. In fact, we often see that most of the attacks we face in our daily lives—regardless of the message behind a campaign of this kind—boil down, more often than not, to the theft of financial information. Most of the time, it’s very easy to convince a potential victim to hand over that data willingly. You can compromise devices, you can compromise networks, but it’s much easier to compromise the person holding that device.”

That is why, in most cases, attackers do not hack into banking systems, but rather exploit users’ trust and carelessness. Why are these scams successful? Because, despite the prevalence of this phenomenon, there is a persistent tendency to underestimate the risks associated with the digital world, with most people believing that the likelihood of becoming a victim of cybercrime is low or even nonexistent.

Vlad Nicolaescu of the Financial Supervisory Authority, a specialist in financial education, listed a few things people should watch out for:

 “If an offer is too good to be true, if certain profits are guaranteed, if we’re told we’ve won various prizes in contests we haven’t even entered, or if we receive payment requests via methods that are, let’s say, a bit unusual, whether through cryptocurrency, Western Union, or prepaid cards. Or if someone contacts us on behalf of the authorities, because this, too, can be a red flag, a very strong warning sign, that should raise questions. And I’ll give you just one example: the Financial Supervisory Authority does not contact citizens to propose any investment or suggest any investment platform.”

These are just a few of the red flags we should be aware of, explains Vlad Nicolaescu, noting that we should not save our card information on unknown websites, but also that we can even use certain virtual cards for online shopping, in order to separate our main balance from smaller amounts that we can use exclusively for specific online purchases. To be more convincing, scammers appeal to a sense of urgency in their conversations, urging immediate action; to fear, by claiming that the account has been compromised; to curiosity, by stating, for example, that a transfer has been received; or to the promise of rewards, by announcing that a prize has been won. And in moments of stress or haste, even experienced users can make the wrong decisions. In addition to being suspicious and analyzing the situation carefully, risks can also be minimized through technical solutions.

Once again, Silviu Stahie:

“The security solutions currently available will help us stay informed when we receive dangerous messages, for example. We’ll receive a warning from the app: ‘Warning! This is a dangerous message. The link you’re about to open is dangerous.’ There are features that block calls from phone numbers already known to be involved in fraud campaigns. They have tools that allow us to securely connect to certain websites. Here’s a very simple example: we’re somewhere abroad, we’ve connected to a wireless network—a public Wi-Fi network—and then we use VPN solutions to securely connect to those resources. We just need to use them—the tools are there. Two-factor authentication is an extremely effective tool, especially when it comes to banking and financial apps, and our recommendation is always to use it wherever it’s available.”

In an ever-changing online environment, experts say, vigilance remains the most valuable security measure. (MI)