According to Postal, The Bank of Portugal (BdP) issued a warning on 31 January about a new form of telephone fraud that has been affecting some citizens. In this scam, individuals claiming to be BdP employees call potential victims, inviting them to install a fraudulent application on their mobile devices. The method used by the criminals involves using the Banco de Portugal's official telephone number (213 130 000).

According to the BdP statement, victims are informed that their bank accounts have been phished and that installing the proposed application is essential to safeguard their financial assets.

The bank clarifies that it does not provide commercial banking services to individuals or companies, highlighting that this type of contact is a misuse of the institution's name and image. The BdP strongly advises people not to send money, personal data or bank information, including access codes and credit card details.

It is important to note that the fraudulent calls are made from numbers that imitate the general contact details of the Bank of Portugal (spoofing). The BdP warns that it does not request the installation of any application on mobile phones or personal computers via telephone contacts.

The statement concludes with the recommendation that if someone receives a call from a number supposedly belonging to the Bank of Portugal, and there is a suspicion of fraud, the case should be immediately reported to the competent authorities.

In addition, the institution encourages direct communication with the Bank of Portugal, which can be done via email info@bportugal.pt or the phone number (+351) 213 130 000.