The Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) on Friday alerted the public to a forged letter that was discovered bearing the bank’s insignia and logos and demanding money from a citizen.

The CBC confirmed that the letter did not originate from the central bank and said the matter has already been reported to the competent authorities for investigation.

What is more, the bank stressed that it never asks individual citizens for money.

“The Central Bank of Cyprus never requests immediate payment of money from individual citizens,” it said.

The CBC also warned people to be careful in such situations.

“The public is urged to exercise particular caution and, should they receive a similar document, to contact the police and notify the Central Bank of Cyprus,” the bank stated.

In a similar case, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) recently issued a warning about fraudulent electronic communications impersonating the regulator and its officers.

These emails, the commission said, attempt to extract money by offering services like fund releases or trading certificates for a fee.

Like the CBC, the commission stressed that it never requests payments from individual investors and urged licensed entities and the public to remain vigilant, check that official emails end in @cysec.gov.cy, and report any suspicious activity immediately.