Stop - Challenge - Protect yourself

Manipulation

  • Be critical if you are confronted with unusual/unsolicited e-mails or phone calls.
  • Don’t be rushed. Take your time and make the appropriate checks before responding.
  • Interrupt communication immediately in the case of a suspicion.
    (e.g. calls by Microsoft, IT support, financial institution).
  • Take the caller’s number and advise them that you will call them back.
  • Never relying on a number shown on your telephone display to be actually correct.
  • Don’t validate the caller using the phone number they have given you (this could be a fake or spoofed number).
  • Never disclosing any personal data such as passwords or credit card details to any other person.
  • Don’t click on links in suspicious messages – not even out of curiosity (e.g. e-mail, SMS, chats). Otherwise, you risk infecting your device/computer with malware or being diverted to dubious websites.
  • In case of doubt, contact the supposed sender using the contact details you already have or those indicated on the sender’s official website, to check with them what exactly the message is about and whether or not it actually comes from them.
  • Treating any attachments received with e-mails and text messages with great caution.

Fraudulent investments

  • Don’t let anyone push or rush you into acting under pressure of any kind.
  • Frequently check your financial statements.
  • Rely only on statements received via official means (i.e. not via private email addresses).
  • Utilise e-Banking to view up-to-date portfolio balances and transactions.
  • Carefully check the authenticity of systems, websites, and documentation before
    1. beginning to interact (including providing sensitive information) and/or
    2. relying on them.
  • We recommend contacting Julius Baer via its official website www.juliusbaer.com. In case of doubt or before taking any material action, we recommend independently verifying the authenticity of any information relating to Julius Baer.
  • Research before you invest. Search online using the company name as well as the investment/cryptocurrency name, add “review,” “scam,” or “complaint” to your search.
  • Never wire or provide any credit card or bank account information until you check out the investment first.
  • Be wary of crypto investment pitches on social media platforms or from cold callers.
  • Do not trust offers of investment tips or secrets in online messages boards. The sites linked to them can be bogus websites pushing what appears to be chances to invest.   
  • Watch for heavy sales pitches to “invest now”. Pump and dump schemes make an investment look like its value is rising and then crashes after you invest.   
  • Be careful when you see a celebrity endorsement. Scammers will use popular names and faces for curb appeal.   
  • Don’t trust people who say they know a better way, promise great wealth and “insured” or “guaranteed” returns and offer “too good to be true” – “risk-free” investment opportunities.

Payment fraud

  • Don’t let anyone push or rush you into acting under pressure of any kind.
  • Remain vigilant if you receive suspicious calls/requests that are allegedly from Julius Baer. Keep in mind that we never ask you for identifying data or login credentials via e-mail or phone.
  • Conduct call-backs to a trusted number/via the official website in case of a suspicion (to your vendors, suppliers, or partners)
    (e.g. in the case of suspicious invoices or sudden changes to beneficiary accounts).
  • Always verify details of any new/amended payment instruction verbally by using the details held on file, and not on the instruction. Fraudsters can spoof email addresses to make them appear to be from a genuine contact, including someone from your own organization.
  • Be aware that even some of the apps available might not be the official ones. Be discerning when choosing your service apps and only download them from the official stores.
  • Be aware that manipulated invoices may use a different font for the amount or beneficiary data
  • In some cases, fraudsters mention in emails that the current bank account is ‘under audit’ or ‘being audited’ as a cover-up for the new beneficiary account.
  • Never respond to a text message/SMS/email that requests your PIN or your online banking password or any other security credentials.
  • Checking there is an SSL connection (https://, lock symbol) when calling up a log-in page, and verifying that the Internet address shown in the address bar of your browser actually indicates that you have reached the correct page.
  • Always entering the address for your online service provider or financial institution’s log-in page manually via the browser address line.
  • Never filling in any forms received by e-mail and asking you to enter log-in information.
  • Never using any links you receive by e-mail, SMS or messenger services, and never scanning in any such QR codes to log into your financial institution facility.
  • Don’t transfer money to another account on their request. Your bank will never ask you to do so.
  • Look carefully at every invoice and compare it to previous invoices received that you know to be genuine – particularly the bank account details, wording used, and the company logo