Why are 98% of cyberattacks targeted at bank cards?

The number of crimes committed using information technology in Uzbekistan has reached an alarming level, accounting for 44.4 percent of all offenses registered in 2024. Now, every second crime in the country is being committed in the digital space.

This was reported by Maksudjon Mirabdullayev, a representative of the Cybersecurity Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. From 2021 to 2024, the total damage caused by cyber fraud exceeded 1.9 trillion soums.

In 2024 alone, citizens lost more than 603 billion soums due to illegal activities on the internet. Last year, more than 58,800 criminal cases related to cybercrimes were initiated by law enforcement agencies.

98 percent of these crimes involve fraud related to bank cards. According to analysis of criminal methods, the main danger is not direct hacking of protected systems, but social engineering.

60 percent of crimes are carried out by sending malicious links and programs. Using this method, fraudsters gain unauthorized access to victims’ mobile devices and bank cards.

The second most common method—accounting for 16 percent of cases—is obtaining SMS codes through fake phone calls and other tricks. Another 11 percent of crimes occur on popular online trading platforms such as Olx.uz and Olcha, where fraudsters deceive buyers and sellers.

Attracting citizens to fake electronic exchanges and online trading projects makes up 9 percent of cybercrimes. In the remaining 4 percent of cases, criminals illegally take out online loans in the name of citizens without their knowledge.

A technology causing special concern is "deepfake" videos. Fraudsters create fake videos of famous individuals, including artists, bloggers, and athletes, in an attempt to lend credibility to their scams.

This is especially common in cases involving online loan registration. According to Mirabdullayev, 31 percent of crimes in this category are linked to the use of deepfake technology.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs representative pointed out that the success of cybercriminals is often connected to the excessive trustfulness of citizens. In many cases people themselves disclose confidential information such as SMS codes or invest money in obviously fraudulent platforms.

Schemes convincing victims to pay "delivery fees" for non-existent winnings are also widespread. To counter the growing threat, rapid response headquarters have been created with the participation of the Central Bank and payment organizations.

Citizens are advised to immediately call short numbers 102 or 1102 if they encounter cybercrime. Prompt reporting helps law enforcement block transactions and prevent loss of funds.

Citizens also often inquire about recovering stolen funds. "Our duty is to apprehend the criminals and hand them over to investigative authorities.

Returning the money depends on a court decision," explained the ministry center representative. Timely contact with law enforcement increases the chances of freezing the stolen funds and can speed up the process of returning them.

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