Phishing trap in the name of the police

Attention mobile phone users: there are fraudulent SMS messages in circulation. Requests for urgent payment of fines are being sent out in the name of various police forces. This is a particularly brazen phishing scam!

Potential victims receive a text message in the name of the police. It states that they have committed a traffic offence and that the fine must be paid immediately. There are even threats of late fees or legal consequences if payment is made too late. The text message also contains a link that leads to a fraudulent website. It is difficult to tell from the link that this is a phishing attempt, as it looks very similar to a real Internet address.

The fraudulent website then asks for personal information and credit or debit card details. To verify the information, a second SMS is sent to the recipient with a confirmation code. This must also be entered on the fake website. As soon as the transaction is completed, the fraudsters promptly charge the debit or credit card.

So, even with senders such as the police, #watchout! Always scrutinise messages critically and, if in doubt, contact the police to have the message verified.