Slovenian cyber agency warns of surge in smashing smishing scams targeting messaging apps

Slovenian Computer Emergency Response Team (SI‑CERT) has warned of a rise in smishing attacks that use private messages on Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram and SMS. Fraudsters pose as contacts and ask victims whether they received a call from an unfamiliar number; a reply can grant the attackers access to the victim’s account. SI‑CERT reports that about 2,600 Slovenians were defrauded last year, a 40 % increase from the previous year, with total losses exceeding €40 million.

The agency advises users not to click links or open attachments in unsolicited messages, even if they appear to come from known persons, and to forward suspicious messages or screenshots to cert@cert.si. It also noted a recent incident involving a Croatian reservation system used by Slovenian tourism providers, where personal data were harvested for phishing. As SI‑CERT put it, “Predvsem so zelo nevarna zasebna sporočila, npr. SMS, Viber, WhatsApp, Messenger …”.