Baku: Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has disclosed that over AZN 22 million were stolen from citizens last year due to foreign cyber interference.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, 16,804 cases of such interference were recorded, involving various cyber methods to extract funds from individual bank cards.
The ministry’s data highlights that AZN 2,043,896 was stolen in 1,027 cases through fake links. In addition, AZN 1,196,786 was taken in 411 cases by fraudsters posing as legitimate entities and obtaining personal information via advertisements on shopping pages. Impersonating bank employees, cybercriminals stole AZN 598,048 in 290 cases, while AZN 311,728 was lost in 185 cases through mobile phone interference. Criminals also exploited ATM transactions and stolen or lost cards, extracting AZN 92,630 in 178 cases and AZN 101,398 in 307 cases, respectively.
In schemes involving promises of profits from lotteries, gambling, and other games, AZN 2,450,403 was transferred to foreign accounts in 471 cases. Cybercriminals also targeted online sales, with AZN 292,344 lost in 626 cases related to items sold on shopping sites, AZN 116,219 in 292 cases involving phone sales, and AZN 121,640 in 100 cases involving car sales. Additionally, AZN 470,734 was stolen in 336 cases related to fake job offers, while scams promising loans accounted for AZN 139,600 in 501 cases. Fraudulent activities linked to house, car rentals, and other services resulted in a loss of AZN 82,370 in 343 cases.
The investigation shows that these cyber fraud crimes were perpetrated by unknown individuals from abroad who acquired personal information related to the citizens’ bank cards. Victims were deceived into believing offers and demands from fake foreign numbers, profiles, and pages, leading them to share personal information and interact with suspicious links.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has urged citizens to exercise caution when conducting online transactions involving personal and bank card information. They advise treating suspicious offers with skepticism, avoiding unknown calls or messages, and refraining from clicking on dubious links.