PHONE SCAMS - HOW THEY DECEIVE CITIZENS - TWO NEW INCIDENTS NOTIFIED OF FRAUD - Filenews 27/5
According to the complaints made today to the Police, the perpetrators of the fraud call citizens through Cypriot or other telephone numbers, which in fact have nothing to do with the person calling and with the use of answering machines, they call citizens to follow instructions, telling them to choose specific numbers from their phone keypad, in order to confirm and approve alleged transactions or payments concerning them.
On the occasion of these new complaints, the Police recommends special attention to the public, pointing out that these calls are fraudulent.
In cases where citizens are indeed waiting for the processing of their online transactions, which are pending, they are urged to always carry out a check to verify any calls or messages they receive, before proceeding with the completion of any transaction or payment. Such control and verification should be done through the official and notified communication channels of the organizations involved.
The Police received a new complaint today regarding online fraud, which concerns a fake email allegedly from the Tax Department.
According to the complaint submitted to the TAE Nicosia, a citizen received on 21/05/2026, an e-mail message, stating that, for the purposes of a tax refund from the Tax Department, confirmation of her personal information should be made, through an electronic link – link – included in the message. The electronic link led to a fake website that resembled the website of the Tax Department.
Following the instructions in the message she received, the complainant chose the electronic link and entered her personal information, as well as her bank card details, on the fake website. She then received messages with the security codes – OTP, which she entered in a field on the fake website, thinking that she was following the tax refund procedure.
Later, after the complainant received from the bank in which she has an account, a notification stating that two transactions were made through her account, for the amount of €3,134 in total, as a result of which she found that she had been deceived.
The fraud case is being investigated by the Financial Crime Investigation Unit, of the TAE Nicosia.
On the occasion of this new case, the Police urges the public to be especially careful and to follow the following recommendations:
-No tax or other State Authority sends messages asking for codes and other banking details of a personal nature. In case you receive a similar message, ignore it and delete it immediately
-Never share personal or banking information via e-mail or through unknown websites
-Do not fill in information on websites that are not the official ones of government organizations. -Always check the authenticity of the email address of the sender of a message and the authenticity of the email links it contains before selecting the link
-Be informed only by official State sources. Citizens can verify the identity of the people who call them, by communicating through the official channels of the Services that these people say they represent
-Use two-factor security for your online accounts
-In case any banking data was declared to the perpetrators during such fraud, the public should IMMEDIATELY inform their Banking Institution to avoid unwanted use of their data and available funds and submit a relevant complaint to the Police
A new case of fraud and posting via the internet, of a large amount of money, amounting to €24,800, is being investigated by the Police, following a complaint submitted yesterday to the TAE Nicosia. The case is being investigated by the Financial Crime Investigation Unit, of the TAE.
According to the complaint, on May 19, the perpetrators of the scam contacted a citizen by phone and told her that her account on an online transaction and payment platform, as well as her bank account, had been hacked. The perpetrators asked the citizen to tell them the passwords to her online bank account, ostensibly to prevent the suspects.
The complainant was persuaded by the unknown persons who contacted her and told them the passwords to her online bank account, as a result of which the perpetrators stole the amount of €24,800 from her bank account.
On the occasion of this new complaint, the Police recommends special attention to the public, pointing out that personal data, bank data, as well as passwords to online accounts, must be protected and never disclosed to any persons.
Citizens are urged, as always, to carry out a check to verify any calls or messages they receive. Such control and verification should be done through the official and notified communication channels of the organizations involved.
