The main rule
Fraudsters rarely need to "hack" a bank. They need you to read out a code, send money or install an app. The best protection is a few simple rules you follow every time, however convincing the caller sounds.
Never share: SMS or push codes; CVV/CVC together with the expiry date and full card number; passwords and PINs; login details for your banking app and MyID. A bank employee never asks for an SMS code.
Scheme 1. A call from "bank security"
A caller from a bank-like number knows your name and the last digits of your card: "Someone is trying to debit 3 million so'm — read me the code to cancel it", or "move your money to a safe account", or "install this app for a check". Hang up and call the bank yourself using the number on your card or in the official app. There is no "safe account".
Scheme 2. SMS and links
"Your card is blocked, follow the link", "You won a prize, pay for delivery", "Your parcel was not delivered". The link leads to a fake page that steals card details and codes. Do not click links from SMS or messengers; use only the official banking app.
Scheme 3. Telegram and messengers
- A friend's hacked account asking to borrow 1.5 million so'm "until tonight" — call your friend first.
- A fake buyer on a classifieds site sending a "link to receive payment". Receiving money never requires a code or CVV.
- A "job" receiving transfers on your card and passing them on — this makes you part of the scheme, with serious consequences.
- Fake channels of banks and government bodies with look-alike names.
Scheme 4. Fake investment channels
A "trader" shows profit screenshots, invites you to a "private club" and offers "managed accounts" at 20–30% a month. You are allowed to withdraw a small amount to build trust; then asked to deposit more; and when you try to withdraw a large sum, you are asked for "tax", "insurance" or an "unlock fee". Signs: guaranteed income, no licence, transfers to a personal card, time pressure.
Scheme 5. Pyramids
A pyramid pays "returns" to earlier members from newcomers' money. When inflows slow, withdrawals are "temporarily suspended" and organisers disappear.
| Sign | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Excessive returns | "5% a week", "double in 3 months" |
| Guarantee | "No risk, payouts guaranteed" |
| Recruitment bonuses | Statuses, levels, "bring three people" |
| No licence | "We are registered abroad" |
| Withdrawal problems | Delays, new fees |
| Vague business | "Arbitrage", "AI algorithm", "secret strategy" |
See our lesson on checking investment projects for more.
Loans in your name
- Credit self-ban. Since 6 June 2025 you can block credit agreements in your name for free via my.gov.uz, a public service centre or a credit bureau, and lift it the same way when you really need a loan.
- Victim protection. Rules in force in 2026 require lenders to stop collecting on an online loan taken out by fraudsters once the person is officially recognised as a victim (via a police report, an investigator's decision or a court), and to return money already collected.
If you have been scammed
- Block your card immediately in the app or via the number on the card.
- Call the bank, report the fraudulent transaction and get a reference number.
- Change passwords for banking, email and Telegram; turn on two-step verification; delete any app you installed at the caller's request.
- Keep evidence: screenshots, phone numbers, card details, transfer receipts.
- Report to the police (102 or your local station) — needed both for any refund and to be recognised as a victim.
- If the bank does not help, file an appeal with the Central Bank via the citizens' appeals section of its website.
- Set a credit self-ban if your passport or MyID data may have leaked.
- Warn family and friends — scammers often message your contacts.
Honestly, money is not always recovered, especially if you confirmed the transaction with a code yourself. Prevention matters more.
Protect yourself in advance
Set limits on online payments and transfers, keep main savings off the card you use online, enable notifications for all transactions, agree with older relatives that "the bank never asks for a code", and verify any "urgent" message through a second channel.
Next step
Track your spending in the ONPUL budget: regularly reconciling transactions helps you spot unfamiliar charges quickly. If fraudsters left you with a debt, the ONPUL debt section helps you make a plan while you sort things out with the bank and police.