Andorra Sees Decline in Bank Card Fraud Amid Holiday Phishing Surge

Police in Andorra recorded 27 complaints of fraudulent bank card use and 458 cases of banking data misuse from January through early November, a decline from 57 card fraud reports and 643 data misuse incidents for the whole of 2024. Officials attribute most cases to overseas operations, primarily phishing that directs users to bogus sites for credential theft.

Year-end figures may rise modestly, thanks to ongoing public education efforts, though recent alerts highlight persistent threats. Authorities and Andorra Telecom have warned of intensified phishing and smishing during the holiday rush, with scams impersonating couriers, banks, e-commerce platforms, and even local firms like Andorra Telecom itself.

This week brought a spike in smishing on Monday, as fraudsters sent texts about delivery snags—claiming packages sat at distribution centers due to address gaps, with warnings of added fees, returns, or daily storage costs unless details were updated via phony links. Separate messages dangled expiring loyalty points redeemable for premium freebies such as electronics or gaming consoles, again funneling users to fake pages mimicking official designs. These prey on haste and brand familiarity to snag personal data, logins, or payment details. Legitimate services stress they never seek sensitive information or prizes through unsolicited messages.

Holiday pressures exacerbate dangers, with last-minute shopping drawing alerts on held shipments, overdue bills, or frozen accounts. Ghost shops have surged via pop-up sites and social ads peddling sought-after goods like phones, consoles, and toys at steep discounts, pocketing payments without shipping. Gift card ruses are also climbing, as texts or emails from apparent relatives or bosses push urgent code buys and shares pitched as surprises.

The National Cybersecurity Agency (ANC-AD) notes a broader uptick in digital attacks this year. Police and ANC-AD urge deleting suspect messages outright, while Andorra Telecom advises against accessing links or sharing data. General safeguards include keeping cards in sight during in-store use, self-handling to prevent skimming, solo ATM visits with PIN shielding, and ID checks by staff.

For online safety, stick to trusted sites, enter URLs manually, opt for secure payments, enable transaction alerts and two-factor authentication, avoid saving card details, use virtual cards with limits, monitor accounts closely, update devices, and report suspicions to banks or police immediately.