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[SITUATION] · [QUIET] · [TECHNOLOGY]

3 clusters · 9 sources · 31 days · First seen · Last updated

Phishing and identity theft scams in Brazil and Portugal

Overview

Authorities in Brazil and Portugal have issued warnings regarding various phishing scams targeting citizens through SMS, WhatsApp, and email.

In Brazil, fraudsters are impersonating the National Social Security Institute (INSS) via WhatsApp, using urgent language to claim beneficiaries must perform a ‘proof of life’ update to avoid benefit suspension. These messages aim to trick retirees into providing sensitive information or transferring money.

In Portugal, the National Health Service (SNS 24) warned of fraudulent SMS messages regarding outstanding payments or overdue invoices. Subsequently, Portugal’s Social Security (Segurança Social) issued alerts regarding waves of fraudulent emails and SMS messages. These phishing attempts often use the institution’s name and logo to simulate pending debts or refunds, or use urgent subject lines such as ‘Última chamada: atualize seu cadastro’ to claim accounts may be blocked if data is not updated.

Social Security has clarified that it never sends direct links for payments or requests IBAN information via message, advising citizens to use the official Social Security Portal or mobile application for verification. To combat rising fraudulent activities, the website AlertaFraude.pt was launched with support from the cybersecurity firm WhiteHat. This platform serves as a public guide, cataloging 64 different fraud schemes in Portugal, including MB WAY and VAT-related fraud, and providing tools for users to verify suspicious messages.

Entities

Segurança Social · Instituto Nacional do Seguro Social · SNS 24 · Serviço Nacional de Saúde · WhiteHat

Timeline

  1. [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    Portugal issues alerts against rising phishing and fraud schemes

    Portuguese Social Security and the new AlertaFraude.pt platform are warning citizens against rising phishing and fraud schemes via SMS and email.

  2. [TECHNOLOGY] 4 sources
    Segurança Social warns of fraudulent phishing emails

    Portugal's Social Security has warned of phishing emails using urgent personal data update requests to steal information and threaten account suspensions.

  3. [CRIME] 3 sources
    Fraudulent SMS and WhatsApp scams target citizens in Brazil and Portugal

    Fraudsters in Brazil and Portugal are using WhatsApp and SMS to impersonate official institutions like the INSS and SNS 24, using fake urgent messages to steal personal data and money.

Sources

4gnews.pt · brasilemfolhas.com.br · dol.com.br · exame.com · hrportugal.sapo.pt · investidorsardinha.r7.com · iol.pt · paraiba.com.br · tek.sapo.pt

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history