The Ministry of Health warned in a press release of a new scam attempt based on fake e-mails with the object “reimbursement for excess amount” that seem to come from the Ministry and promise a refund of over 230 € for a alleged error in the payments to the NHS (National Health Service). Everything makes one think of an opportunity to be seized on the fly, but in reality it is a well -thought out fraud, part of a type computer attack phishing. This term indicates a technique used by computer criminals to obtain personal or banking information pretending to be reliable entities. The Ministry has already alerted i Carabinieri del Nasbut the episode remains a clear sign of the need to raise the level of attention and develop a critical approach to digital correspondence. To defend you from scams like this it is important to know how to distinguish between authentic communication and a artist built to subtract personal data or money.
How the fake reimbursement scam works of the NHS
The Truffaldino message begins with a formal and reassuring language, typical of institutional communications, and this is precisely what makes it dangerously credible. The formula is designed in detail to hit the reader’s trust: we talk about “a recent verification on your payments»And a”excess payment relating to two monthly months to the NHS». A specific refund is then promised – 234.40 euros – which gives communication an appearance of authenticity. In fact, it is a FRODE attempt aimed at collecting personal data through a link contained in the e-mail.
By clicking on the connection in the message, you are redirected to a website that graphically imitates that of a public institution. Here it is required to enter personal and banking information with the excuse of receiving the promised refund.
It is interesting to note that in the heading of the message, the scammers have well thought of inserting an image depicting the logo of the Ministry of Salutand, followed by the wording “National Health Service (SSN)” and from the writing “Italian Ministry of Health”. The clear intent is to make the message from the ministry in question seem. To make the message more credible, moreover, the sender’s name at first sight is also “Ministry of Health “ (Viewing the real address of the message, however, it is clear that the email comes from an address that has nothing to do with the ministry).
As usually happens in scams of this type, then, scammers try to convince the potential victim of theimportance of acting promptly – In the message it is clearly said that “After a certain period of time, you could lose the right to return the amount» – In order not to lose the benefits feared in the message. And to reassure the user who reads the message that his data will be processed properly, in the email we also read that «All information provided will be processed with the utmost confidentiality and in full compliance with current regulations regarding the protection of personal data». Nothing more false, given that the scammers are extorting data and information that will use the user’s detriment.
How to defend against the scam of the fake reimbursement of the NHS
The Ministry of Health took note of the spread of these fraudulent e-mails and promptly reported the case to the competent authorities, in particular to Carabinieri del Nas (Anti -Sofettings and Health Unit), which also deal with IT crimes in the health sector. The advice provided by the experts for Defend oneself from the scam of the fake reimbursement of the NHS It is very clear: do not click on the link, do not enter any data and, above all, delete the message immediately.
In the digital world, any information that concerns you – from the number of your identity card to the current account number – has an economic value for those who get it illegally. That’s why scammers continually look for new strategies to deceive users. They exploit credible contexts, as a health reimbursement, to overcome the psychological barriers that normally protect us from too advantageous offers to be true.
To defend you from these risks, always remember that it is important Be wary of the e-mails that I communicate to you winnings, reimbursements or unpr popular economic advantages. No public body will ever ask you to enter bank data through a link received by e -mail. Secondly, Always check the authenticity of the messagefor example by consulting the official website of the body directly that would have sent the communication. Finally, if you have doubts, you can contact the body’s customer service directly (public or private) and, in suspicious cases, present a report to the postal police.
