The Banking Department of the Bank of Israel has published a draft of the directive that will force banks to establish telephone aid on financial fraud that will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. According to the new requirement, banks will have to be available for their customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and provide a professional response from a human being to customers in case of suspicion of fraud or abuse in payment services.
In addition, the Directive establishes that the waiting for the response of the assistance service should not be more than six minutes from the beginning of the call, which is similar to the provisions of the law on calls to other issues (such as accounts). The public has until September 14 to comment on the new directive.
What is significantly about the bank assistance service, unlike the general assistance service of the National Cyber Directorate of Israel, which is also available for the public, is that it may provide an immediate response for at least the fraud, blockade or payment of methamphetamine. The Banking Supervision Department emphasizes that the key is availability, since many frauds take place at night or a Saturday, when there is no one to talk to at the bank and the client is helpless. The accessory continues to get money out of the account, and the attack does not stop or is not discovered for many hours.
The directive is in a context of the growing fraud, specifically financial fraud on the Internet. Many attackers exploit ignorance and human weaknesses, such as a feeling of pressure or panic to make people click malicious or to provide personal information.
The supervisor of the banks Daniel Hahiahvili said: “The Banking Supervision Department has as one of its main objectives to promote several measures to help in the battle against financial fraud, in view of the growing number of fraud cases that involve payment mechanisms and mechanisms.”
The new requirement does not prevent banks from using digital communication channels with customers, and the Banking Supervision Department even recommends the use of such channels for customers that are digitally aware. Bank customers are warned again against scammers who go through the Bank of Israel, Israel Police or banks, and are asked to “increase consciousness and avoid delivering personal and confidential details.”
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The directive establishes that if there is a suspicion of fraud, people are reached to contact the Bank’s Security Department or the Department of Public Complaints, and if a satisfactory response is not received, the matter can be sent to the Bank Supervision Department in the Bank of Israel.
Posted by Globes, Israel Business News – Y.globes.co.il – on September 1, 2025.
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