NCSA urges citizens to be cautious of fake SMS messages and emails impersonating banks and Albanian Post

The National Cyber Security Authority (NCSA) has called for greater attention to fraudulent messages distributed via SMS and email, which use the name and visual identity of banks, Albanian Post or other institutions, with the aim of obtaining personal and banking data.

NCSA emphasizes that these communications usually create a sense of urgency, pushing citizens to take immediate action, such as making a payment for a package, confirming an address, unblocking a bank account or avoiding the suspension of a service.

In these cases, the authority recommends that citizens:

not open suspicious links received via SMS or email;

not provide passwords, verification codes (OTP), PINs or bank card details;

check every notification only on the official websites and channels of the relevant banks or institutions;

notify NCSA and the institution suspected of being impersonated about any suspicious case.

“One hasty click may be enough to compromise your data,” NCSA warns, urging citizens to remain vigilant and always verify the source of a message before taking action.