AZE.US
A Baku resident says scammers stole more than 2,000 manats ($1,176) from his bank cards and then took out a loan of nearly 5,000 manats in his name.
Ilham Taghiyev said he found a social media advertisement offering favorable loan terms and displaying what appeared to be an official bank logo. He called the listed number and spoke with a person claiming to be a bank employee.
The caller requested Taghiyev’s personal information, supposedly to process an online loan application. During a video call, he was asked to show his identification documents and complete facial verification.
Soon afterward, Taghiyev discovered that money had disappeared from two of his bank cards. About 970 manats ($571) was withdrawn from one account and 1,357 manats ($798) from another.
The callers allegedly blamed the missing funds on a “system error” and promised that the money would soon be returned. They later told Taghiyev that the approved loan would be transferred to his card within an hour.
No money arrived. Instead, he received a text message stating that a loan of 4,836 manats ($2,845) had been issued in his name.
Taghiyev attempted to contact the callers the following morning, but the number was no longer available. When he visited the bank, employees confirmed that the loan had been taken out in his name and that funds had been withdrawn from his cards.
Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry said the local police department had received a complaint regarding the theft of the resident’s money. An investigation is underway, and further action will be taken based on its findings.
The ministry urged residents to exercise caution when encountering online advertisements offering discounted products or favorable loans. Citizens were advised not to disclose personal or banking information and to immediately notify police about suspicious activity.
AZE.US