FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – The Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) has alerted the public to fraudulent text messages claiming unpaid electricity bills. These messages, which include malicious links, aim to steal personal information through phishing tactics.
The EAC emphasized that such messages do not originate from them and urged consumers to exercise caution when receiving electronic communications containing links or attachments. These could lead to deceptive websites, regardless of their initial appearance.
EAC clarified that official reminders regarding unpaid bills only include the customer number and the amount due, without any requests for further data entry. The public is advised to stay vigilant and report suspicious activity to the relevant authorities.
SCAM EPIDEMIC
Last month, the Cybercrime Sub-Directorate in Cyprus received a number of reports from citizens, related to telephone calls in which the perpetrators present themselves as officers of a Revolut.
Specifically, the perpetrators stated that the citizens’ accounts will be deactivated if they do not provide their personal and banking information during the call. If the victim provided this information, the perpetrators proceed to steal the available balances from their bank accounts.
The public was urged to be particularly careful and to take the following protective measures:
• Do NOT respond to calls and instructions received from perpetrators
• Do not disclose to other persons, sensitive information such as passwords, one-time codes, PINs, account details, identity details and bank card/account details
• Citizens should verify the identity of the people calling them, by communicating through the official customer support channels of the banking institutions
SPATE OF SCAMS
Earlier this year, the Cybercrime Sub-Directorate was busily alerting the public over an increase in the phenomenon of fraud via SMS messages.
Specifically, scammers send mass SMS messages to random recipients, falsely impersonating the cryptocurrency exchange company – Binance, stating that unauthorized access to their account has been detected from another country, asking citizens to contact the phone number stated in the suspicious message immediately.
‘The public is urged to be particularly cautious and not respond if they receive such a message,’ Police HQ says in a news release. ‘Use two-factor security for all of your online accounts and NEVER give your passwords and access details to any third party.’
Back in November, the Bank of Cyprus urged all its clients to stay vigilant against fraudsters impersonating the bank.
These individuals are promoting fraudulent investment schemes that seem legitimate by sending emails and SMS messages directing users to counterfeit websites, aiming to deceive them into providing their 1bank login credentials, One-Time Codes (OTP), card details, and other banking and personal data.
They might also reach out to the public via phone or social media, insisting that they “must act immediately” or that “an excellent investment opportunity awaits!
