Erste Bank said that in the first quarter of 2026 it prevented the theft of HUF 2.3 billion in fraud attempts targeting its customers. According to the bank, it was able to block eight out of every ten attempted abuses.
Registered attempts and sums
The bank recorded 7,300 fraud attempts in Q1; the total amount criminals sought to acquire reached HUF 2.8 billion. Of the incidents, 5,900 were related to payment cards, with a combined value of around HUF 0.5 billion. There were 1,400 attempted transfer frauds, for which the targeted total amounted to HUF 2.3 billion.
Higher risk in transfer frauds and average amounts
Erste highlighted that although card frauds are more numerous, transfer-based scams pose a greater financial risk because the average amount per incident is much higher. Between January and March 2026 the average attempted transfer fraud exceeded HUF 1.6 million, while card-related frauds averaged about HUF 84,000 per case.
Methods: psychological manipulation and guided payments
Successful criminal cases are typically transfer scams in which perpetrators effectively “hold the victim’s hand” and guide them through the process. Criminals frequently use psychological manipulation to convince customers to initiate payments themselves. Investment-style scams have become more common recently: offenders posing as advisors first persuade victims to invest small sums and then larger amounts, often showing fake websites that purportedly display how the money grows. Perpetrators often coach victims on what to tell bank staff if questioned about a suspicious transaction.
Ongoing development: real-time monitoring and self-learning AI
Erste has been operating and continuously improving its in‑house real-time fraud monitoring system for years. The bank is now working on a machine learning–based, self-learning fraud prevention system intended to further improve detection and response capabilities over time.
Cyberthreats and professional discussion
Zsiga Krisztina, Deputy CEO for Risk Management at Erste, noted that new cyberthreats have prompted immediate and targeted actions across the financial sector. The subject will also be addressed in the cybersecurity session of the Financial IT conference on May 28, where participants can hear more about current issues in banking cybersecurity and digital fraud prevention.
The cover image is illustrative.
