Citizens urge PM to address cyber fraud cases

PanARMENIAN.Net - Citizens who have fallen victim to cybercrimes and fraud within the banking system staged a protest in front of the government building. They are demanding a meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to urge necessary measures.

The citizens reported suffering significant losses due to cybercrimes in the banking sector. Instead of receiving support, financial institutions are imposing unjust obligations on them, reports Aravot.am .

In some cases, banks initiate foreclosure processes, while investigative bodies fail to adequately protect citizens' rights. The victims are calling on the government to develop clear mechanisms to combat cybercrimes and ensure financial security.

Human rights defender Mher Karagyozyan emphasized that citizens have incurred substantial material losses due to fraud, yet law enforcement agencies are not responding appropriately.

"Victims of cybercrimes are told that the stolen funds cannot be recovered. However, I doubt this, as these funds are often transferred to accounts within the same bank. If they cannot retrieve the funds, the responsibility should lie with them, not the citizens. Our citizens have suffered losses ranging from over 1 million drams to up to 20 million drams. We're talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars, and yes, the bank may have an interest. The loopholes in banks might be left open for this reason. We have banks that are properly protected; if 10-15 banks can have adequate protection, why can't these 3-4 banks close those loopholes?" Karagyozyan stated.

One of the victims, Alamya Melkonyan, shared her experience: "There was an advertisement claiming that passing a test would result in winning money. I attempted to participate in the raffle through the bank's online application but failed the test; it was a scam, and I became a victim of fraud. Both my personal funds were stolen, and an illegal loan was issued in my name."

Protest participant Jemma Hovhannisyan mentioned that her daughter-in-law was affected: "A link appeared on Facebook; my daughter-in-law entered her information, and it turned out to be a cybercrime. The bank said a loan was issued in her name and advised contacting the police. We immediately contacted the police, then the cybercrime department, and then the financial system mediator, but to no avail. The financial mediator directed us, saying we could go to the person's home and ask them to repay the money since we have their account number and name. But which criminal would return that money? The investigators are aware of this; everyone is aware. He is a 21-year-old man; the investigators questioned him and released him. The total amount is 1,348,000 drams. The bank says they will lower the interest rate as a goodwill gesture and that we should repay it over 60 months. But why should we pay if we didn't take that money?" Hovhannisyan said.

Mher Karagyozyan announced that they have sent a letter to the government, demanding a meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to find a systemic solution to the problem.