A MAJOR scam involving emails purporting to be from electricity board Iberdrola has been uncovered by Spain’s National Cyber-Security Institute in the centre-northern city of León.
The Institute, or INCIBE, said fraudulent messages have been received by many customers explaining that an error in their billing system means they are now due a refund for overpayment.
It requests that the recipient should click on a link, which takes customers to a website that appears to be Iberdrola’s, and prompts them to give their personal data and bank account details.
Once this information has been disclosed, the scammers then help themselves to victims’ funds.
As yet, the INCIBE is not aware of whether any customers have suffered major financial losses.
Iberdrola would never ask for bank details by email, since it already has clients’ data to process refunds if necessary and, if this is not the case – because of the customer paying all bills in cash – would deduct any overpayment from the next bill due.
