How to Report Cybercrime and Online Fraud in Hungary (2026)
Scammed or hacked in Hungary? Who to call (112, police 107), how to report to the police and the National Cyber Security Center, and how to try to get your money back.
Hungary is a sovereign European Union member state that keeps its own currency, the forint, and its own dedicated police emergency number alongside the EU-wide 112 line. If you are scammed or hacked in Hungary, you report to the Hungarian police, and separate national bodies handle cyber incidents, banking warnings and data protection. This guide shows you exactly who to contact, how to preserve evidence, and how to try to get your money back. Act fast: the sooner you tell your bank, the better your odds.
Primary sources: ORFK: Hungarian National Police · National Cyber Security Center (NKI) · Magyar Nemzeti Bank · NAIH: National Authority for Data Protection
On this page
First: stop the loss
- Contact your bank or card issuer immediately. If you sent money or shared card details, call the number on your card or statement, report the fraud, and ask them to stop or recall the payment and freeze the account. For card payments, ask about a chargeback. Our chargeback guide explains how.
- Stop all contact with the scammer. Never send more money to "release" or "verify" funds, and never install remote-access software a caller asks for. That is the scam. Block the number, email and account.
- Secure your accounts by changing passwords, signing out other devices and turning on two-step verification. If you clicked a link, see what to do after clicking a phishing link.
- Keep evidence: emails, texts, payment references, names, numbers and account details.
Who to report to
- Emergency or a crime in progress: call 112 (or 107 for the police directly).
- Fraud and crime: report to the Hungarian police (ORFK) at any station; complex or organised cybercrime cases are handled by the National Bureau of Investigation (NNI).
- Illegal or harmful online content: the NMHH Internet Hotline, run by Hungary's media and communications authority.
- A cyber attack, hacking or phishing attempt: the National Cyber Security Center (NKI, also NCSC-HU), at [email protected] or +36 1 336 4833.
- Banking scam warnings and consumer protection: Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB) on 06-80-203-776.
Reporting does not by itself return your money, but it creates an official record and feeds local intelligence. Report even if you did not lose money, because the information still helps stop the next victim.
Getting your money back
Hungary uses the forint (HUF), not the euro. How you paid decides your options, and speed is everything.
| How you paid | What to do |
|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Call your bank within minutes to try to stop or recall the payment. Ask whether it will reimburse you, and claim. |
| Debit or credit card | Ask your card issuer for a chargeback and dispute the transaction in writing. Card payments carry the strongest protection. |
| Crypto, cash app or gift cards | Rarely recoverable. Report to the platform and the police at once, and beware "recovery agents" who contact you, that is usually a second scam. |
EU rules give banks strong obligations to refund transactions you did not authorise yourself, but that protection is weaker once you were tricked into authorising a payment personally. Do not assume an automatic refund; report, claim from your bank, and escalate a refused claim through its complaints process.
Scams that hit Hungary
MNB and NKI have warned repeatedly about:
- QR-code phishing linked to fraudulent loans, where scanning a malicious code leads to a fake site that harvests enough personal data for criminals to take out a loan in the victim's name, a pattern MNB has flagged in the local business press.
- Fake parcel-delivery and e-commerce messages, impersonating banks, the post office or government agencies to steal card details or login credentials.
- State-linked phishing campaigns, which NKI has attributed to groups such as APT28, targeting institutions and individuals with tailored lures. See how ordinary phishing messages are built in our explainer on how phishing works and how to stop it.
The law and your data
Computer offences in Hungary, including violating the integrity of an information system or its data, fall under Section 423 of Act C of 2012 (the Btk., Hungary's Criminal Code), punishable by up to two years' imprisonment, rising to a felony carrying up to three years for aggravated cases. Your data is protected under the EU's General Data Protection Regulation, enforced by NAIH, the National Authority for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, which organisations must notify of a serious breach without undue delay and, where feasible, within 72 hours through NAIH's online Incident Reporting System.
FAQ
I got a text about a loan I never took out. What happened?
This matches a known QR-code phishing pattern where stolen personal data is used to apply for a loan in your name. Report it to the police, tell your bank and any lender named in the message, and notify MNB.
My email or social media was hacked. Who do I tell?
Secure the account first: change the password, sign out other devices and turn on two-step verification. Report the incident to the National Cyber Security Center, and to the police if money, identity or business communications were affected.
I only got a suspicious message and lost nothing. Should I still report?
Yes. Forward it to the National Cyber Security Center, or the NMHH Internet Hotline if it involves illegal online content. It helps authorities track offenders and warn others.
Sources: ORFK: Hungarian National Police · National Cyber Security Center (NKI) · Magyar Nemzeti Bank · NAIH · Act C of 2012 (Btk.), net.jogtar.hu
If you have been targeted, you are not alone. See our country-by-country cybercrime help hub for step-by-step reporting and recovery guides.