Several town halls in the province of Girona have alerted the population after detecting a new attempt at telephone fraud related to public health. The warning has been disseminated on municipal social networks as well as through the Departament de Salut, which has confirmed the existence of fraudulent calls in different Gerona municipalities.
The deception of the false fifth dose of covid-19
According to the information provided, the alleged scammers pose as Ministry of Health workers and offer residents a supposed fifth booster dose of the covid-19 vaccine. During the call, cybercriminals may provide the victim's personal data, such as address, phone number, or email, information that could have been obtained on the dark web.
"NO, the Ministry of Health is not calling about a fifth booster dose of covid." - Spokesperson, Department of Health
The Department of Health insists that public institutions never request personal data by phone. Furthermore, it reminds that any medical doubt should be resolved through 061 or by contacting the corresponding CAP directly.
Risk of WhatsApp account hijacking
The Cybersecurity Agency of Catalonia warns that the objective of the scam is to obtain the verification code that the user receives by SMS. If the victim provides this code, the scammers can take control of their WhatsApp account, especially if two-step verification is not activated.
Once the account is hijacked, the alleged criminals impersonate the victim and can send messages to their contacts requesting transfers or money through Bizum. This method has already been detected on previous occasions, when cybercriminals posed as WhatsApp's technical service to access user accounts.
Security Recommendations and Actions for Suspicious Calls
The Cybersecurity Agency of Catalonia underlines the importance of never sharing verification codes received by SMS. These codes are an essential security measure to prevent account theft or unauthorized transfers.
- If a suspicious call is received, hang up immediately and block the number.
- In case of medical doubts, always contact 061 or the CAP.
- The Ministry of Health is not making calls to offer booster doses.
- Public institutions do not request personal data by phone.
The authorities insist on the need to exercise extreme caution with this type of fraud, which seeks to take advantage of citizens' trust in public and health services.