Republic Bank urges customer vigilance after ‘Brute-Force’ attack in VISA card fraud

Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited (RBL) is urging customers to vigilantly monitor their accounts even as it works to find a permanent solution to the recent spate of “Brute-Force” attacks which resulted in fraudulent transactions through its international VISA OneCard.

In a statement issued yesterday, the bank explained that the attack is a trial-and-error method used by fraudsters to obtain, within seconds, payment card information, such as an account number and card expiration date.

“Once that information is obtained, the fraudsters attempt numerous transactions at online merchants globally,” the statement said, before adding that “while many of these attempts failed, some were also authorised resulting in customers’ accounts being debited.”