A man who received a fake ticket in Cyprus lost over €2,300.

Scammers are once again sending out messages about supposedly unpaid traffic fines. A 52-year-old Cypriot resident accessed a fake website resembling a police service, entered his card details, and lost his money. 2326 euro.

The police warn against paying fines through links received in unexpected emails. You should check the amount due yourself in the official public administration system, using the address you enter manually in your browser.

Instead of a fine, 2,326 euros were collected.

According to a report filed with the Nicosia Police Criminal Investigation Department, the 52-year-old received a message about an alleged outstanding payment for a traffic offence.

The text message contained a link to a website that appeared to be the official website of the Cyprus Police. The man opened the website and entered his card details, believing this was his way of paying the fine.

Shortly after, he received a notification from his bank that his account had been debited for €2,326. The Nicosia Police Financial Crimes Unit is investigating the matter.

How does fraud work?

The scheme relies primarily on creating pressure. The message may state that the fine must be paid immediately, otherwise the fine will increase or the case will be referred for further proceedings.

The SMS contains a link leading to a website impersonating the police, public administration or payment operator.

The website might feature police symbols, official colors, and a form that looks like a real payment gateway. The web address might differ from the official one by just one letter, an extra character, or an unusual domain ending.

Once entered, the information is passed on to criminals. They can use the card number, expiration date, and security code to charge a much higher amount than the fraudulent message.

How to recognize fake news?

Be especially careful if the message:

• puts pressure on and demands immediate payment,
• threatens to quickly increase the amount,
• contains a shortened or unusual internet address,
• asks you to enter your card details without prior identification of the case,
• does not provide the ticket number or other data allowing verification of the amount due,
• contains linguistic errors or unusual wording,
• leads directly to the payment form.

The police logo or website's appearance alone don't confirm its authenticity. Criminals can copy elements of the official website in such a way that the fake website looks convincing on a phone.

You also shouldn't trust a website just because the connection is marked with a padlock. A connection certificate confirms its encryption, but it doesn't mean the website owner is honest.

How do you actually pay fines in Cyprus?

The official fine payment service is available via the portal gov.cyElectronic payment is made using the JCC Smart system.

The safest way is to enter the website yourself: https://www.gov.cy/en/services/justice-and-public-order/fines

The address should be entered manually or opened from a trusted bookmark. Do not use a link provided in a text message, email, instant messaging app, or social media comment.

If the recipient has any doubts as to whether they actually have an unpaid fine, they should use the official services of gov.cy or contact the police directly.

What to do after providing your card details?

Anyone who enters card details on a suspicious website should act immediately. Don't wait for the first unauthorized payment to appear.

It's necessary to:

1. block the card in the banking application or via the bank's official hotline,
2. inform the bank about suspected fraud,
3. dispute unauthorized transactions,
4. change passwords if login details are provided on a fake website,
5. save the text message content, website address and payment confirmation,
6. report the matter to the Cyprus police.

If the card has been added to a digital wallet or fraudsters have obtained additional information, you should inform your bank. The institution may decide to cancel the card completely and issue a new one.

Messages may reach random people

Receiving such a text message doesn't mean the scammers know the recipient's true credentials. Messages can be sent in bulk to a large number of random numbers.

Criminals are counting on the fact that some recipients have recently driven a car, driven past a speed camera, or are concerned that they may have committed an offence.

The case of the 52-year-old man demonstrates that fraudsters don't aim to collect a small amount equivalent to a fine. Once they obtain your card details, they can debit your account for a much larger sum. Therefore, any such message should be verified beyond the link it contains.

Sources: Cyprus Police, Philenews, gov.cy