Beware of any messages which purport to be from a bank, police say. sur

Police warn that attempted bank scams are on the increase in Malaga province

Cybercriminals send text messages or emails claiming that there is a problem with an account or a card and have gone to great lengths to appear credible

Raquel Merino

Malaga

Tuesday, 11 October 2022, 13:39 | Updated 19:39h.

The National Police in Malaga have issued a warning about scams by text message or email which are an attempt to obtain people’s bank details. This is nothing new, but the problem has increased recently.

The messages appear to be from the client’s bank warning them that their account or their card has been blocked. There is a link attached which, if clicked, redirects to a website which looks as if it is that of their bank but is actually a fake.

If someone clicks on the link and accesses this supposed website, the cybercriminals phone the client and pretend to be a member of the bank staff.

"The contact seems to be genuine, but it is not," the police said in a statement. What the perpetrators want is to gain access to people’s bank details, which they will then use to take money from their accounts.

The police advice is as follows:

- Never trust messages of this type. Banks will never ask for details of how to access your digital banking by phone, text message or email.

- Do not click on the link which is attached to these types of messages.

- Never give anyone the codes or any other details which you receive on their mobile phone.

- If one of these messages is received, let your bank know. If someone has managed to access your account, they can advise you on what to do and will let the police know about the fraud.