New phishing scam circulates in Croatia: Fake Tax Administration offers €542 refund
Citizens across the country receive SMS messages with links to suspicious websites, with scammers asking for personal and banking details
Citizens across the country receive SMS messages with links to suspicious websites, with scammers asking for personal and banking details
Recently, people across Croatia have been receiving fraudulent SMS messages in which scammers impersonate the Tax Administration, offering a supposed tax refund. As seen in posts and discussions on Reddit, this is a new phishing scam targeting the theft of personal and financial data.
The messages come from unknown, often foreign numbers, and mention a specific or fabricated tax refund amount. In striking examples, amounts of €542 and other sums over €500 are mentioned. Along with the message about the approved amount, there is a link to suspicious websites where users are asked to enter personal or bank card details.
Social media users mostly react with disbelief and humor to these attempts, pointing out that recognizing the fake message is quite simple. One Reddit user commented: "For the refund, just wait for it to hit your account, what's this downloading via a link."
Another joked: "Even the real tax office hasn't sent me a refund, let alone scammers." Many also warn about other types of scams that have recently been affecting them, such as frequent calls from unknown foreign and domestic numbers, offering fake investments or payouts from crypto accounts.
The Tax Administration and other official institutions never ask for banking details or the collection of funds via SMS links. Citizens are advised not to enter their bank card number, CVV/CVC code, or personal ID number (OIB) on unverified websites. If you receive a suspicious message, delete it immediately and, if possible, block the sender's number.
