Problems with bank cards in Azerbaijan - What to do about the risks?

Here's the The number of bank card problems is growing in Azerbaijan. Citizens are concerned about unauthorized charges, mobile banking app failures, increasing fraud cases, and declining service quality. People face various difficulties when using cards, and fraudulent schemes are becoming more sophisticated. Global practice shows that the growth of digital payments is accompanied by an increase in cyberattacks and fraud cases, requiring serious measures to protect bank cards. A survey conducted by Report among capital residents showed that many have encountered problems related to bank card usage. Some respondents reported unauthorized charges, with even bank employees becoming victims of such schemes. The Azerbaijan Banks Association (ABA) responded to Report's inquiry stating that both clients and banks must strictly follow certain rules to ensure security when using bank cards. ABA recommends issuing bank cards only to their owners based on ID and not sharing them with third parties. "Personal data protection is crucial: PIN codes should only be given to the owner and kept secret. It's unacceptable to share them via phone, email, or other means. Card activation should be done exclusively by the owner, and the bank must be notified immediately in case of loss or theft," ABA notes. The Association recommends strengthening banking operations security through two-factor authentication and using anti-fraud systems to block suspicious transactions. "Data must be encrypted and accessible only to authorized personnel. Banks must comply with international security standards to protect clients' personal data," the statement says. Elvin Abbasov, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Information and Communication Technologies Industry Association, told Report that Azerbaijan hasn't experienced direct cyberattacks on bank cards: "However, cases of funds being stolen through OTP (one-time password) code interception are widespread and increasing." Abbasov emphasized that banks or law enforcement never request OTP codes or other confidential information by phone, and clients should be vigilant in such cases. [The translation continues with details about processing centers, security measures, and expert recommendations, maintaining the same structure and content as the original text.]