Fake SMS messages about parking fees – police and CERT Polska warning
Police and CERT Polska are warning of a phishing campaign via SMS, impersonating operators of paid parking zones. Clicking on the link risks loss of card data and money from the account.
Fake SMS about parking arrears could empty bank account
Google News PL — Crime (pl) reports that Podkarpackie police and CERT Polska are warning of a new wave of false SMS messages in which criminals impersonate operators of paid parking zones.
The message contains a demand for immediate payment of alleged parking arrears and directs the recipient to a website that closely resembles a legitimate operator's service. However, the website has been created by scammers. Police make a clear appeal: do not click on the link.
Time pressure as a tool of manipulation
The attack scheme is based on forcing a quick reaction. Scammers suggest that failure to act immediately will result in serious financial consequences. An additional warning sign is a request in the message to send any response or manually copy the URL into the browser – this is meant to help criminals bypass the phone's system security.
Both police and CERT Polska emphasise: legitimate paid parking operators never encourage users to bypass smartphone security. Such a request, as well as a message from an unknown sender with an active payment link, should immediately raise suspicions.
Card data on a fake website – risk of immediate loss
On the fraudulent website, criminals demand entry of the vehicle registration number, personal data and full payment card details. Police note that a stolen registration number can be used to prepare further, more credible fraud attempts. However, the most serious consequences threaten a victim who provides card data – this could mean immediate loss of funds from the account.
What to do after receiving a suspicious SMS
Police and CERT Polska recommend forwarding the message in its original form to the free number 8080. Reports can also be submitted via the form on the incydent.cert.pl website or in the mObywatel application, using the "Safe on the Internet" function.
If card data has already been entered on the suspicious website, you should immediately contact your bank and block the card. It is worth keeping the SMS text, the URL address and screenshots – police indicate that such materials can serve as important evidence when reporting the crime to the nearest police station.
Source: Google News PL — Crime (pl)