Greek Police warns of fraud with fake Traffic Police SMS

The Headquarters of the Hellenic Police (ELAS) issued a new warning on August 11, 2026 about a sophisticated form of electronic fraud. The scheme involves messages about alleged traffic violations. The perpetrators send short text messages that direct recipients to an especially convincing fake website. The method falls into the category of electronic phishing. The goal is to steal banking details.

The fake page displays detailed but false violation information. It includes the vehicle’s speed, the speed limit, the date of the violation, penalty points, and the monetary fine. Presenting this information lends credibility and increases the likelihood that the recipient will be convinced. The method relies on the psychological pressure created by referencing an official authority. Many users do not have time to check the website’s address.

The critical new element of this particular variant is the offer of an alleged 50% discount on the fine, provided it is paid within a specific deadline. The artificial time pressure aims to get the citizen to enter their banking details hastily. This tactic is well known and is used systematically in frauds of this type. The combination of fear and opportunity reduces the recipient’s critical judgment. ELAS urges particular caution regarding this feature.

Some of the messages appear to come from gov.gr. The Hellenic Police explicitly clarifies that gov.gr does not send links via SMS for paying traffic fines. These pages have no connection whatsoever to the Hellenic Police, gov.gr, or any other public authority. Forging the sender’s name in SMS messages is technically feasible. For this reason, the sender’s name is not a guarantee of authenticity.

The instructions given by the police are specific. Citizens are urged not to click the link, not to enter personal information, and not to provide bank card details or online banking codes. Immediate deletion of the suspicious message is recommended. Citizens should navigate to the official website themselves rather than through a link in a message. Verification of any violation should be done through official channels.

The police also warn that a polished appearance or the absence of spelling mistakes no longer means a message is genuine. Modern scams use tools that produce flawless text and convincing pages. Anyone who has already entered banking details or made a payment is urged to contact their bank and the relevant police authorities immediately. Speed of response is critical for recovering money. Related complaints should be submitted to the Cyber Crime Division.

The warning coincides with the summer travel period, when actual traffic violations also increase. In parallel, a special plan of intensified Traffic Police measures is being implemented across the entire road network. Similar scams using the pretext of “power leakage” have been recorded targeting elderly people, such as the case involving 200,000 euros in loot in Voula. More from Greece on the Greece page. Citizens are urged to inform their elderly relatives as well.