“We have been intercepted by several users who have accessed Banco de Portugal, indicating that they are being contacted on behalf of Banco de Portugal through text messages and even phone calls,” said BdP Information Systems Manager, Carlos Mora, in Lusa.
According to the person responsible, the complainants received messages signed from a number imitating the identity of ('impersonating') the Asian Development Bank and indicating that access to the accounts may be compromised.
Affected customers are then forced to call a phone number that mimics the Bank for Development and Progress helpline and whose “service level is very similar” to that of the central bank itself.
“This is the topic that concerns us most at the moment, because the level of service is very similar to our user support service, and in one way or another, people are induced to make these kind of errors because people end up presenting themselves as employees of Banco de Portugal” Carlos Mora added.
After this call, victims are asked to install an anti-virus-like program on their mobile phones to verify the compromised information, and are asked to access their bank accounts.
The referred software acts like “malware” and ends up removing access credentials from user accounts.
According to Carlos Mora, the BDP has already received “several hundred calls” in its call center and dozens of calls in the regional network, leading officials to believe that it is “a movement that exists in society.”
There are several recommendations, including suspending the sharing of personal or bank card data, not making suspicious transfers, or installing suspicious programs on a cell phone or computer.
Anyone who receives a call on their cell phone whose dialed number is supposed to be a BdP number should report the case to the authorities and contact Banco de Portugal, which can be done via email at [email protected] or via Call number 213130000.
BdP said it was cooperating with the authorities and had reported the cases received.
Losa
Emily Brontë is a journalist and feature writer specialising in culture, entertainment, literature, and current affairs. She is dedicated to producing clear, accurate reporting that helps readers stay informed about developments in the UK and around the world.
