State personal data protection agency
under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic held a meeting with representatives of Kyrgyztelecom OJSC, the Main Criminal Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (GUUR MIA) and the Main Department of Internal Affairs of Bishkek (GUVD).

During the meeting, the state agency expressed concern about the increasing cases of telephone fraud, in particular with the unauthorized use of personal data of citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Thus, some of the methods used by attackers are phishing attacks, social engineering, the use of other people’s personal data for authorization and authentication on various platforms and resources, as well as fraud using mobile applications.

The State agency emphasized the need for joint efforts to combat such phenomena. A number of proposals and strategies have been developed to strengthen cooperation between government agencies and private companies, as well as fraud prevention measures.

Several recommendations from the State Agency that will help prevent fraud:

- Be careful when talking to unknown numbers and do not disclose personal information or financial information over the phone to strangers or organizations. It is important to remember that no self-respecting organization will ask for passwords, PIN codes or card numbers over the phone.

- If you receive a call from a supposed company or organization, verify the authenticity of the call by contacting them through their official contacts and not through the number that called you. This will ensure that the call is not a scam.

- Do not give out your PIN code, passwords, card numbers or other personal information, even if you are told it is for your safety or to confirm your identity.

- Many modern mobile devices provide functions for blocking and filtering out unwanted calls. Use them to reduce the number of fraudulent calls.

- Maintain your knowledge of the different types of phone scams to be more vigilant and prevent potential attacks.

State personal data protection agency urges citizens to be vigilant and, when faced with cases of fraud and suspicious actions of third parties, to immediately contact law enforcement agencies.