The Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR) issued an alert about a new type of fraud involving the mailing of fake bank letters. Criminals send potential targets correspondence with a professional appearance, similar to that sent by legitimate financial institutions. Inside the letters is a card personalized with the recipient's name, supposedly sent as a replacement for an expired or soon-to-expire card.
The scheme uses a technique called "quishing," a variant of traditional phishing that uses QR codes to redirect victims to fraudulent web pages. After receiving the letter, victims are instructed to scan a QR code to proceed with urgent activation of the card, under threat of their bank account being blocked.
When scanning the QR code, the victim is redirected to a website that faithfully mimics the bank's interface. Believing they are on an official page, the person enters their login credentials, personal data, and payment card information, which immediately falls into the hands of the scammers. Authorities warn that this technique has grown rapidly because, unlike suspicious emails, QR codes still benefit from a high level of trust among users.
The GNR recommends that citizens be wary of any urgent request related to bank accounts, cards, or personal data, especially when it involves scanning QR codes. Beyond the immediate financial losses, authorities emphasize that the collected data can be used in identity falsification schemes and other future frauds.
