Police are warning the public to stay alert after a new scam led a 53-year-old man to lose €18,500. The fraud involves fake text messages demanding payment for traffic fines.
According to a report made to Famagusta CID on Thursday, the man received a text claiming he had to pay an €85 fine for a traffic offence. The message included a link that appeared to lead to a legitimate online payment service.
The victim clicked the link and was taken to a website that looked like a real payment platform. He entered his banking details, believing he was paying a fine.
Instead, the scammers gained access to his account and stole €18,500.
Police have confirmed they never contact citizens by text message or any other platform to ask for payment of fines.
They stressed that this is not how official communication is handled.
In a statement, authorities urged people to ignore such messages and never share personal or banking details on unknown websites.
Police also advised against clicking on suspicious links.
This case adds to a growing number of online scams in Cyprus, where criminals use fake websites to trick people into giving away sensitive information. The police are continuing their investigation and encouraging anyone who receives a similar message to report it immediately.
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