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An online fraud campaign has been identified in recent days in Albania, where citizens are falling prey to fake SMS messages aimed at stealing personal and banking data.
The scam is carried out through messages that appear to come from institutions such as the Traffic Police or the Albanian Post Office. In these SMS, citizens are notified of an unpaid fine or an undelivered package and are invited to click on a link.
This link directs users to fake pages that imitate official sites, where they are asked to fill in their bank card details, which then end up in the hands of fraudsters.
Cybersecurity specialist Juled Mardodaj points out that this is a globally widespread practice:
"Phishing message forms are the most widespread in the world, not only here. The goal is to obtain personal and banking data of citizens. The perpetrators are mainly foreigners," the expert told "TCH".
The National Cyber Security Authority has taken steps to curb this phenomenon, in collaboration with telephone operators, banks and other institutions, aiming to block fraudulent domains.
However, according to experts, the main protection remains the citizen himself. They advise some basic rules to avoid falling prey to fraud.
"Citizens should keep in mind some basic rules: Do not click on links from unknown SMS or emails. Always verify the page address (URL). State institutions do not request payments or banking information through links in SMS. Do not share sensitive data such as card numbers. If you receive such an SMS, report the case to the relevant authorities," he said.
According to specialists, even a simple verification before clicking can avoid financial loss and exposure of personal data.
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