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An 81-year-old woman lost €33,424 after following instructions in a fraudulent text message that appeared to come from Cyprus’ General Healthcare System (Gesy), police said on Monday.
The woman was initially asked to pay just €1.50, according to a complaint filed with the Limassol Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The message, which displayed Gesy as the sender, instructed her to make the small payment. After following the instructions, she began receiving alerts about attempts to access her online bank account.
The scammers subsequently managed to withdraw a total of €33,424 from two accounts: her personal bank account and another account she manages.
The Limassol CID’s Financial Crime Investigation Office is investigating the case.
Police warn against suspicious links
Police have urged the public to exercise caution when receiving text messages containing links, particularly those requesting payments or personal information.
Recipients are advised not to click on suspicious links or enter personal and banking details on unfamiliar websites.
Anyone asked to make an online payment should first verify the request by contacting the organisation named as the sender through its official communication channels.
Police also advised anyone who has already shared banking information through a suspicious message to contact their bank immediately to prevent the details from being used fraudulently.
