Arrests in Cyprus following a series of SMS phishing scams

Police in Cyprus have arrested two men in separate investigations involving sophisticated phishing scams. A 23-year-old man was arrested in Limassol for allegedly defrauding a 64-year-old woman of 34,600 euros after she clicked a link in a fake courier message in February 2026. Separately, a 24-year-old Pakistani national residing in Nicosia was arrested at Larnaca Airport as he attempted to leave the country. He is linked to a criminal ring that used messages posing as the General Healthcare System (GeSY) or traffic authorities to steal bank details.

The 24-year-old suspect is currently remanded in custody for eight days following a court order in Larnaca. Evidence indicates that victims were deceived by messages labeled "traffic CY" or "CY MEDICAL," resulting in significant financial losses, including 3,963 euros stolen from a 76-year-old man and 770 euros from a 68-year-old man via unauthorized ATM withdrawals.

Authorities have issued urgent warnings regarding these scams, noting that fraudulent SMS messages can sometimes appear in the same thread as legitimate notifications from official health services. The Health Insurance Organization (HIO) and police emphasize that they never request passwords, payment details, or personal information via text links and urge citizens to delete such messages immediately. Investigations into potential accomplices and other victims remain ongoing.