Citadele Bank Warns of Scammers Posing as Its Staff on WhatsApp

Citadele, a bank operating in Latvia, has warned the public about scammers whose activity has intensified in recent days. The criminals create fake profiles on the messaging app WhatsApp and pose as bank employees, including the head of the bank and staff in its security function. Their aim is to obtain confidential information or to get people to carry out unauthorised actions.

The bank explains that the fraudsters use these profiles to contact clients and other people, creating the impression that the communication comes on behalf of the bank. Such schemes exploit the identity of people who are publicly known or trusted.

What the bank does not do

According to Līga Everte, head of Citadele's fraud prevention unit, bank employees do not contact clients on WhatsApp about banking services. They also never ask for access data, PIN codes, Smart-ID or internet banking details, never ask clients to approve transactions, and never request payments.

What to do if you receive a suspicious message

The bank's expert advises people to:

• not reply to suspicious messages from unfamiliar phone numbers;
• remember that the name and photo shown in a messaging app do not prove who the sender is – identity should be checked by contacting the person or company through previously known, trusted contact details;
• never disclose personal or financial information, including passwords, authentication codes and internet banking credentials;
• make no payments and follow no instructions until the requester's authenticity is confirmed;
• report suspicious WhatsApp messages and block the fraudulent account.

The bank also asks clients to get in touch and share information about cases in which scammers pretend to be bank employees.