ING customers can check via app whether they have a real bank employee or fraudster on the line

The new position is called ‘Check your conversation’. She must prevent customers from falling into the trap when they are called by scammers who occur as a bank employee and claim that something is wrong with their money, account or bank card.

When they get a phone call, the customers can enter their telephone numer through the ‘Check your conversation’ function in their bank app. « The call system of ING then immediately checks whether there is indeed an ING employee calling the customer’s telephone number, » the bank says in a press release.

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According to an online round question at a thousand Belgians, 61 percent already had to deal with an attempt to bank fraud (such as identity fraud, bank card fraud and phishing via SMS or telephone).

The new position has been around in the Netherlands since last year and will be rolled out in Belgium in the coming days.

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« Every additional tool in the fight against fraud is welcome and also shows the many efforts and permanent innovations that banks make in the fight against online fraud, with the aim of better protecting customers, » says Bankfederatie Febelfin. « We know that the initiative is also meticulously viewed and analyzed by other Belgian banks. »