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New scam targets CaixaBank customers with fake €3,000 transfer alert
Fraudsters are sending realistic-looking text messages to trick people into handing over bank details
“A transfer of €3,000.00 has been made from your account.” That’s the alarming message some CaixaBank customers in Spain have been receiving recently, but don’t panic. It’s not real. It’s the latest example of a smishing scam designed to steal your personal and banking details.The text message appears to come from CaixaBank and includes a link to a website, supposedly for checking this mysterious transfer. However, the site has no connection to the real CaixaBank. The link, usually something like caixabank-pagos.com, is fake and can be identified by small but telling signs, such as poor grammar, odd wording and even spelling mistakes like referring to the bank simply as “Caixa” rather than its full and official name.
If you click the link, you’re taken to a counterfeit version of the CaixaBank website. It may look convincing at first glance, but it’s entirely controlled by cybercriminals. Any details you enter there, including your login information or personal data, can give them access to your real bank account.
According to InfoVeritas, the scam is part of a wider pattern of smishing attacks, which is where criminals send SMS messages pretending to be from trusted organisations. These scams often create a sense of urgency, encouraging people to act quickly without thinking.
It’s important to remember that banks never contact you by text message with links to resolve problems or confirm suspicious payments. Nor will they ask for personal information by SMS, email or phone. If you receive a message like this, do not click on any links. Instead, contact your bank directly through official channels to check your account.
These scams can happen to anyone, especially when they’re cleverly worded and come at busy or stressful times. But staying alert and knowing what to look for can make all the difference.
What’s the difference between phishing, smishing, vishing and spoofing?
These scams all use similar tactics but via different methods:
- Phishing is when a scammer sends a fake email, pretending to be from a trusted company, asking you to click a link or provide personal information.
- Smishing works the same way, but the message arrives as a text (SMS), like the recent CaixaBank scam.
- Vishing is short for ‘voice phishing’. In this case, the scammer calls you and pretends to be from your bank or another company, trying to get you to hand over sensitive details.
- Spoofing involves highly convincing impersonations, often using technical language and jargon to make the scammer sound credible. These can come by email, text or phone.
In all of these cases, the message usually creates a false sense of urgency, for example by claiming your bank account has been blocked to pressure you into acting quickly without thinking.
4 key tips to avoid scams, from the OCU
- Don’t open emails or texts from unknown sources.
- Be suspicious of messages with links, even if the sender seems familiar. Call the company using a number you trust, not the one in the message.
- Never give bank details over the phone. Legitimate companies will never ask for this information by call, text or email.
- Google yourself regularly. Known as “egosurfing”, this helps you spot any private information that might have been leaked online.
Image: Mehmet Turgut Kirkgoz/Pexels
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