Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Central Bank of Uzbekistan has addressed concerns circulating on social media regarding SMS notifications sent by commercial banks about citizens' bank cards.

According to the regulator, these messages are sent in accordance with a directive from the Central Bank to inform customers about bank cards issued in their name. The card numbers are partially concealed to comply with information security and cybersecurity requirements.

Citizens with questions regarding the cards mentioned in the SMS notifications are advised to contact their servicing bank for clarification. If necessary, they may also request the closure of unused cards.

The regulator also highlighted the risk of fraud associated with virtual cards issued in a citizen’s name without their knowledge. This can occur due to unauthorized access to a user’s mobile banking account or through self-registration in a banking app without their consent.

The Central Bank urged citizens to take precautionary measures, regularly check their accounts, and avoid sharing access to personal data and banking applications with third parties.