Police warn of rising phishing scams targeting citizens through fake traffic fines

Cypriot authorities are investigating a surge in phishing scams involving fraudulent text messages that claim the recipient has an outstanding traffic fine. Between September 22 and September 26, multiple victims were defrauded after clicking links in SMS messages that directed them to websites mimicking the official Cyprus Police portal.

In Paphos, a 35-year-old man lost 795 euros, and a 29-year-old foreign national lost 1,025 euros after engaging with such messages. In another incident reported in Nicosia, a 52-year-old man was defrauded of 2,326 euros after entering his banking credentials on a fraudulent site. Another reported incident involved a smaller initial payment request of 3.5 euros, which led to a 1,000-euro unauthorized withdrawal from the victim's account.

Police officials have issued a stern warning, clarifying that they never contact citizens via text message or third-party platforms to demand the payment of fines. The Financial Crime Investigation Unit of the Nicosia Police is currently investigating these cases. Citizens are urged to exercise extreme caution and to never input banking details into links provided within unsolicited messages.