The ULS has issued a statement warning about the circulation of fraudulent SMS messages claiming to be from the SNS and the Ministry of Health. These messages allege outstanding debts related to emergency services, requiring payment within five days.
These SMS messages contain a link that directs recipients to a fraudulent webpage, which provides a bank reference for payment. Upon confirming, individuals are prompted to enter personal and bank card details.
The ULS explains that this is a fake SMS messaging scheme, known as “smishing,” involving the use of reputable entities such as the SNS and the Ministry of Health.
The intent of these messages is to deceive recipients into providing personal and bank information to gain financial advantage.
ULS Viseu Dão-Lafões does not issue payments via SMS and advises the community that if they receive a similar message, they should not click the link, make any payments, or provide any personal or banking information. The public is urged not to respond, not to click, and to delete the message immediately.
