Four major banks issue warnings after incident at CIC, recommend customers to increase security

Major banks in Vietnam have confirmed that their systems are safe after the CIC incident, while warning customers about the risk of fraud via fake emails and text messages.

Banks warn people to be vigilant against fraud in the banking sector. (Source: Vietnamplus)

After the cyber security incident at the National Credit Information Center (CIC), 4 major banks including Vietcombank, VietinBank, Agribank , and BIDV simultaneously issued official announcements, affirming the safety of the system and providing a series of security recommendations to help customers prevent fraud risks.

The Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam ( Vietcombank ) issued a statement to reassure customers, affirming that the bank's information technology system and database operate independently from CIC and are secured with multiple layers according to international standards. Vietcombank's banking services are still operating stably, unaffected by the CIC incident.

According to Vietcombank, CIC data does not include account balances, savings books, card numbers, CVV/CVC codes or transaction history. The bank warns customers to be wary of emails, messages, and calls impersonating bank employees, asking for passwords, OTPs, card information or downloading attachments.

Vietcombank emphasizes that it will never ask customers to provide confidential information via phone, email or text message. Customers need to proactively activate balance alerts on the Digibank app and monitor transaction fluctuations to promptly detect abnormalities.

In case of doubt, customers are advised to immediately contact the 24/7 Customer Support Center via 1900 545413 or go directly to the nearest Vietcombank branch or transaction office for support.

Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Agribank) affirms that the bank's technology system meets the international security standard ISO 27001:2022 and is completely independent from CIC. The data collected by CIC according to the law does not include deposit accounts, savings balances, credit card numbers, debit cards or payment transaction history of customers.

Agribank warns of some common tricks of cybercriminals such as calling, texting impersonating banks or authorities to request OTP, CVV/CVC or account passwords. These are illegal acts that can lead to property appropriation if customers are not vigilant.

The Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) also confirmed that the incident at CIC did not directly affect customers' credit card and e-banking transactions.

BIDV said that according to Circular 15/2023/TT-NHNN and Decision 573/QD-NHNN, the bank does not share any sensitive data with CIC, including account balances, credit card information, CVV/CVC codes or transaction history. BIDV's technology system operates independently from CIC and is currently operating normally.

The bank warned that bad guys could take advantage of the incident to impersonate the bank, CIC or police agencies, thereby spreading malware and defrauding customers. BIDV recommends that customers do not provide OTP, CVV/CVC, SmartBanking password to anyone, do not click on strange links and do not install applications from unknown sources. BIDV also emphasized that the bank never sends links asking customers to provide information or install software.

Customers are advised to only download applications from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android), regularly monitor transaction history and immediately contact hotline 1900 9247 when detecting unusual signs. BIDV is committed to maintaining strict security measures to protect customer information and assets.

Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (VietinBank) issued a separate announcement stating that sensitive information such as balances, deposit transactions, card numbers or e-banking login data are not entered into the CIC system. The bank affirmed that it always strictly complies with legal regulations to protect the rights and assets of customers.

VietinBank also recommends that customers should be vigilant with strange calls and messages; install applications from the official App Store or Google Play; read the terms carefully before installing the application; regularly update anti-fraud knowledge on the VietinBank website or iPay Mobile application.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/bon-ngan-hang-lon-phat-canh-bao-sau-su-co-tai-cic-khuyen-cao-khach-hang-tang-cuong-bao-mat-327553.html