Law enforcement warns of phishing scams targeting traffic fine payments

phishing attacks SMS scams traffic fine fraud cybercrime Safe City system

Law enforcement agencies in North Macedonia, Croatia, and Albania have issued warnings regarding a widespread phishing campaign targeting citizens through fraudulent SMS messages, emails, and social media.

The scammers impersonate official authorities, such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the Department of Motor Vehicles, claiming that the recipient has an unpaid traffic violation. These messages often reference the ‘Safe City’ system and include malicious links designed to redirect users to fake payment portals to steal banking information and personal identifiers.

Authorities advise the public to remain vigilant, avoid clicking suspicious links, and never share sensitive data like passwords or credit card numbers through unauthorized channels. Official traffic fine notifications in the affected regions are expected to come from specific senders, such as ‘MVR-SC’, and must include the vehicle's registration number and a legitimate government domain link.

Entities

Computer Crime sector · Department of Motor Vehicles · Ministry of Internal Affairs · Safe City

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] Official links must follow the format 'https://safecountry.mvr.gov.mk...'. expres.mk · novamakedonija.com.mk · sitel.com.mk
[● 3 SOURCES] The Ministry of Internal Affairs has identified an increase in phishing attacks. expres.mk · novamakedonija.com.mk · sitel.com.mk
[● 3 SOURCES] Official SMS notifications for traffic violations must come from the sender 'MVR-SC'. expres.mk · novamakedonija.com.mk · sitel.com.mk
[● 3 SOURCES] Scammers are impersonating the Safe City system and the Department of Motor Vehicles to report traffic violations. expres.mk · novamakedonija.com.mk · sitel.com.mk
[● 3 SOURCES] Phishing attacks are being conducted via fake SMS, emails, websites, mobile apps, and social media. expres.mk · novamakedonija.com.mk · sitel.com.mk
[● 3 SOURCES] Official messages must include the vehicle registration plate of the offending vehicle. expres.mk · novamakedonija.com.mk · sitel.com.mk
[● 2 SOURCES] The Computer Crime Sector is conducting active investigations to identify and sanction the perpetrators. expres.mk · sitel.com.mk