Paphos woman loses €784 to fake police fine call
A 37-year-old woman in Paphos handed over her bank details to a caller posing as a police officer and was debited €784, police said on Thursday.
Police in Paphos are investigating after a 37-year-old woman was tricked out of €784 by someone who phoned her claiming to be an officer, Cyprus Mail reports. The caller spoke English and told her a fine had been issued in her name.
Instead of a phone number, her screen showed the address "[email protected]". Believing the story, she passed on her bank details to settle the supposed penalty and only later discovered the money had been taken from her account.
What it means for residents
Fines in Cyprus are not settled over the phone, and no officer will ask for your bank or card details during a call. The case shows how easily a familiar-looking screen entry can make a fraud look official, so the safest response is always to end the conversation and check through official channels.
- Verify before you pay. If someone claims you owe a fine, hang up and contact the police or the relevant authority using a number you look up yourself.
- Guard your banking data. Never share account numbers, card details or one-time codes with a caller, whatever name appears on the screen.
- Report it. If you think you have been targeted, inform the police and your bank promptly so the transaction can be examined.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
