Citizens are facing a wave of text messages presented as notifications from banks and requesting immediate identity verification. According to the State Police, this is a cyber fraud scheme aimed at obtaining sensitive financial data and opening the way for interference with bank accounts.
How the SMS scheme posing as banks works
According to the official version, citizens are being sent messages asking them to verify their identity within 24 or 31 hours. Pressure through short deadlines is used to push users to react without carefully checking the source of the message.
The messages contain electronic links that take users to fake pages built to resemble the official platforms of banks. It is precisely there, according to Police, that personal and banking data is requested, which can then be used by those behind the scheme.
What “smishing” is and why the risk is real
The scheme is known as “smishing,” a form of fraud that combines text messages with fake websites to steal sensitive information. The target, according to Police, is bank card numbers, passwords and verification codes.
If this data falls into the wrong hands, it can be used to access accounts and carry out unauthorized transactions. This turns a single message into a direct financial risk for citizens.
Police advice for citizens
Police are urging citizens not to click on suspicious links and not to share banking data, PINs or security codes through pages opened from such SMS messages. Even when the message appears convincing, the sender’s identity should not be taken for granted.
In cases where data has been entered on a suspicious page, the official recommendation is to contact the bank immediately to block the card or account access. A quick response remains the main measure to limit the damage.
Investigation and reporting of suspicious cases
According to Police, Cybercrime Investigation structures are working to identify those responsible. However, for citizens the problem remains concrete and immediate: the messages are circulating and attempts to obtain data are continuing.
Authorities are asking citizens to report every suspicious case to the Police. Beyond the official alert, this wave of messages again draws attention to users’ vulnerability in the face of digital scams disguised as ordinary banking communication.
Messages that demand urgent action, especially when accompanied by links and requests for banking data, should be treated as a strong danger signal.
In practice, verification should be carried out only through the bank’s official channels and not through links that arrive by SMS.