Ukrainians have been warned about fake traffic fines
This was reported by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.
Fraudsters are sending messages alleging traffic offences and threatening further penalties in the event of non-payment. To make their claims more convincing, they use the name of the Ministry of Justice and direct people to a website that mimics the official portal of the National Police.
In the reported cases, such messages were sent from a foreign number. The link led to a website with a .top domain, whereas the official websites of Ukrainian government bodies have the gov.ua domain.
What information are the fraudsters trying to obtain?
After being redirected to the fake website, users are asked to enter their personal details.
The fraudsters may then demand bank card details, verification codes or payment of an alleged fine. It is precisely this information that can be used to steal money from the account.
How to check if a fine is genuine
The Ministry of Internal Affairs emphasises that fines for traffic offences should only be checked and paid via official government services.
This can be done via the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ official service, the Driver’s Electronic Office, the ‘Diya’ portal or app, as well as through other official services specified by the Patrol Police.
The Patrol Police also explained that in the event of an automatically recorded offence and failure to pay the fine within the specified time limit, the vehicle owner will be sent an official notice by post.
What to do if you receive a suspicious message
Do not click on any links in such a message, or enter your personal details or bank card details.
If you have any doubts about the message, you should check the information about the fine via the Ministry of the Interior’s official services or contact the administrative department of the Patrol Police in your region.
If you have already entered your bank details on a suspicious website, you should immediately contact your bank, block your card and report the incident to the Cyber Police.
Fake notifications about traffic fines are a form of phishing. Such schemes are not aimed at the actual payment of an administrative fine, but at gaining access to citizens’ personal data, payment details and funds.
One of the main signs of a fraudulent website is a domain that does not belong to official government sites. For Ukrainian government bodies, the official domain is gov.ua.
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