Mass unauthorized withdrawals hit cards linked to the Humans app; Central Banks comments

The situation surrounding Humans is becoming increasingly serious. According to another victim who contacted Kun.uz, large sums are being withdrawn from plastic cards linked to the mobile operator’s application without any SMS verification. All of the transactions were processed under the name “PL HUMANS P2P”.

“Humans withdrew UZS 2 million from my card last night at 01:19 and 02:28. When I called the operator, they said the money would be refunded, but they could not say when,” wrote a user named Tursunbek.

Another victim reported that UZS 5 million was withdrawn from their card, which had been linked to the Humans app, some time earlier.

“There is a problem with Humans. More than UZS 5 million was withdrawn from my card. The transaction was completed without any confirmation codes,” said the affected user.

Another victim, Mohinur, said that Humans withdrew more than UZS 12 million from her card in three transactions overnight. “When I tried calling the company’s operator, the line was not working. No four-digit code arrived, and I did not open any APK file,” she said.

At present, the transfer history is not visible within the Humans application itself. Users can only view the record of withdrawn funds through other banking apps.

In an audio recording of a conversation between a victim who lost nearly UZS 100 million and a Humans operator, the company’s call center reportedly said: “Technical work is currently underway on this issue, and we are accepting applications. Please send screenshots in the chat. We will also need your email address and passport series. In addition, please provide the phone number linked to the card, the first six digits and the last four digits of your card number. Your application will be reviewed within seven days.”

In another conversation circulating on social media, a call center employee assured the victim that the money would be returned but said that there was no exact timeline.

“I also do not have an exact timeframe. But the case is in the process of being closed, so if you wait, your money will definitely be returned. I have once again reminded the relevant department. They will contact you. If it takes up to 10 days, you can reach out again. The funds will be transferred back to your card,” the operator said.

However, the explanations provided by the company’s call center and those given by a company representative do not fully align. For instance, according to information provided by the technical support service of the Humans platform to a Podrobno.uz journalist, a fraud scheme has been identified, in which unauthorized third parties gained access to users’ accounts and carried out financial transactions without their consent.

The Central Bank has confirmed the incident and advised citizens whose funds were withdrawn to file complaints with law enforcement bodies. As of December 9, all payment services carried out through the Humans mobile application by Octagram JSC (Paylov – trade name) have been temporarily suspended.

Further developments will be closely monitored.