Fake “Fuel Pass III” SMS scam targets Greek citizens

A new wave of SMS-based fraud is targeting citizens in Greece, with scammers posing as the country’s Ministry of Finance and falsely promising payments under a non-existent “Fuel Pass III” subsidy program.

According to reports, victims receive text messages claiming they are eligible for financial aid. The messages urge recipients to immediately activate a digital card via an embedded link, warning that failure to do so will result in the cancellation of the supposed benefit.

Authorities emphasize that this is a clear phishing scam. The malicious links included in these messages do not lead to the official government portal, gov.gr, but instead redirect users to fraudulent websites designed to steal sensitive information.

Citizens are strongly advised not to click on suspicious links or provide personal credentials such as Taxisnet or e-banking login details through SMS prompts. Officials also warn that many of these messages originate from international phone numbers—often beginning with prefixes like +63—which can serve as an immediate red flag.

This incident highlights the growing sophistication of digital fraud tactics and underscores the need for increased vigilance when handling unsolicited communications.