PayPal telephone fraud in Cyprus – police warn of automated calls
Police have issued a warning about new telephone fraud using automated calls presented as PayPal. The fraudsters are extracting banking details through fake websites.
New PayPal telephone fraud targets Cyprus residents
Police have issued a warning about new telephone fraud affecting Cyprus residents through automated calls presented as communication from PayPal, as reported by Cyprus Mail. The authorities state that they have received an increasing number of reports from citizens who have received such calls.
According to the reports, recipients hear a recorded message informing them of alleged suspicious transactions on their PayPal accounts. They are then asked to press a number on the keypad to approve, cancel, or verify the transaction.
Those who follow the instructions are redirected to links or fake websites that mimic reputable financial platforms. The aim is to extract sensitive personal information, including banking credentials, passwords, and card details.
A spokesperson for the police press office told Cyprus Mail that this particular fraud is especially difficult to investigate. "It is not easy to investigate this type of crime, as it originates from abroad," the spokesperson said.
When asked about the increased number of frauds in a short space of time, the spokesperson explained that fraudsters constantly adapt their methods. "Frauds simply change form. Today it is PayPal, next week it could be Gesy, or even pretending that the call is coming from the police itself," the spokesperson said characteristically.
Regarding whether the various frauds are linked to the same criminal network, the spokesperson said the authorities do not yet know. "We cannot say at this stage whether this is the same group behind these cases," they added.
The case is being handled by the police's Cyber Crime Unit, which monitors reports related to the latest fraud campaign.
The authorities called on the public to remain vigilant and emphasised that legitimate organisations — banks and payment providers — do not request codes or banking details through unsolicited calls, messages, or links.
Police recommend that those receiving such calls should immediately hang up, avoid pressing any number, not open links from unknown senders, and contact their bank directly if they believe they have disclosed sensitive information. Citizens are also encouraged to report any suspicious calls to the authorities.
Source: Cyprus Mail