Phishing is a common form of cybercrime where scammers attempt to trick victims into providing confidential personal or financial information. Scammers often impersonate trusted institutions or companies, such as banks, streaming services or government agencies, in this case Spanish Social Security.
Seguridad Social has warned of a new SMS phishing case spreading. The fake text message informs victims that their health insurance card needs to be updated and directs them to a link to do so. However, the link is not real, and if victims click on it, they are redirected to a fake website pretending to be the Social Security website.
The fraudulent message says the following: “Your sanitary facilities are available. Para seguir beneficiándose derechos, realise sulitud a través de (el siguiente enlace)”. Seguridad Social shared a photo on X (Twitter) with the text: “¿Did you receive this message? There is nothing for us. No pique” Or “Did you receive this message? This is not ours. Don’t fall for it.”
This is the latest scam Social Security has to call out. As the number of these crimes increases, it is important to identify some factors that will help you become a victim of these crimes. Below we tell you what you should pay attention to to detect fraud:
- Be alert for unexpected emails, texts or WhatsApp messages. Scammers often try to attract victims’ attention by pretending to be a legitimate entity.
- Check the sender of the email or text message carefully. If the sender is unknown or the email address or text message number looks strange, it’s likely a scam.
- Never click on links in unexpected emails, text messages or WhatsApp messages. These links can lead to fake websites designed to steal personal or financial information.
- Be careful when providing personal or financial information. Only provide information to organizations you trust that need the information for a legitimate reason.
- Use a strong password for all online accounts. A strong password is at least 12 characters long and contains a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Keep your software and browsers updated. Software and browser updates often include security patches that can help protect you from phishing.
- Protect your device with antivirus software. Antivirus software can help protect you from malware, which can be used to steal your personal or financial information.
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