Madeirans are being tricked into responding to an SMS from a real CTT number about a fraudulent package in order to obtain personal data.
“Customs clearance of the shipment RR38560118374PT has been suspended due to lack of delivery data, Please update the data at: ctt-geral.com.” This message has been received multiple times but it is a sophisticated scam.
Unlike other fraud schemes, in which a strange number appears with a message purporting to be from CTT—Correios de Portugal, in this case, the SMS number is a correct CTT contact number, leading many to believe that it is from “CTTEXPRESSO.” But it is not, said the company on its website on the 14th of November.
“We warn that messages are circulating that report a shipment has been suspended due to lack of delivery data. In the SMS, you are asked to access a link to update data. This link refers to a website that does not belong to CTT. It is not a CTT service, but a scheme for collecting personal data,” decries the post office.
But this scam is not confined to CTT, as local newspaper, JM, has received reports from MEO customers who have also received fraudulent messages from MEO contact numbers.
There are also reports of the same thing happening to EDP customers, although, this fraud does not affect Madeirans living in Madeira, because here the only electricity company operating is the Madeira Electricity Company.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
