Slovakia warns of traffic‑police SMS scam and Betliar municipal fraud

The Slovak police have issued a nationwide warning about an SMS fraud that pretends to be from the traffic police, claiming the recipient exceeded the speed limit and demanding payment within 24‑48 hours via a link. The messages target drivers, seniors and other citizens, using urgent language to compel victims to click the link and disclose personal or payment data. Authorities stress that official police never send such urgent payment requests and advise people to verify any fine notices before acting.

In a separate case, the mayor of Betliar, Helena Kúkelová, was deceived by fraudsters posing as investigators and staff of the National Bank of Slovakia. They persuaded her to initiate several bank transfers totaling about €117,764 to private accounts. Police have opened criminal proceedings, recovered roughly €20,000, and the mayor has pledged to repay the remainder from her own funds while introducing additional verification steps for future transactions.