# Phishing and identity theft scams in Brazil and Portugal > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/phishing-and-identity-theft-scams-in-brazil-and-portugal > Updated: 2026-09-21T18:20:37.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2. 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 that direct users to fake websites. Subsequently, Portugal’s Social Security (Segurança Social) issued an alert regarding a wave of fraudulent emails. These phishing attempts use urgent subject lines, such as ‘Última chamada: atualize seu cadastro’, claiming accounts may be blocked if data is not updated. Officials emphasize that legitimate entities do not threaten immediate suspensions or request data confirmation via external links. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-21: 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. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/segurana-social-warns-of-fraudulent-phishing-emails ### 2026-09-16: 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. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/fraudulent-sms-and-whatsapp-scams-target-citizens-in-brazil-and-portugal --- Cite as: Phishing and identity theft scams in Brazil and Portugal. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/phishing-and-identity-theft-scams-in-brazil-and-portugal