Spain on high alert over huge new SMS scam targeting foreign and local residents

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How spoofed SMS scams trick you with fake tax office messages How to dodge the scam: The Tax Office’s advice

Scam Alert message on smartphone screen caused by cyber attack initiated through a text scam with fake messages from Hacienda in Spain. Taxman warns of sneaky SMS scam hitting Spanish phones: Don’t be taken in!

Credit: Shutterstock, Adao

A massive new scam is on the rise in Spain, and it’s playing tricks with your phone. Read on to find out how to avoid one of the most dangerous text scams around.

Scammers are spoofing Spain’s tax agency, Hacienda – here’s how to spot the fake texts:

Spain’s Tax Agency, La Agencia Tributaria, has issued a warning after a flood of fake SMS messages hit taxpayers across the country. The scammers are using a technique called spoofing to make the messages look like they’ve come directly from the official tax office – but don’t be fooled, it’s all a dirty trick.

How spoofed SMS scams trick you with fake tax office messages

Scammers are banking on users who are busy, stressed, tired, or simply do not know the country well enough to spot their fraudulent messages. What they do if you fall for their tricks will shock you.

The dodgy messages are designed to look legitimate, appearing as if they’ve come from the same number La Agencia Tributaria uses to communicate with taxpayers. But don’t be misled! These fake texts use spoofing, a clever tactic that makes the SMS look like it’s part of an ongoing conversation you’ve had with the tax office. They’re even showing up in the same thread as genuine, previous messages, which tricks people into believing they’re authentic. Most people don’t even know that criminals can do this, but they can, and do.

The Spanish tax office has urged anyone who gets these suspicious messages to avoid clicking on any links or taking action until they’ve double-checked things. The advice is simple: if you’re at all unsure, head directly to the Agencia Tributaria website to do your checks, and don’t fall for links embedded in texts.

According to the experts, the scam messages are appearing in the same conversation threads used by the tax office for legitimate messages. This makes it all the more difficult to spot the difference – the fake messages look so convincing!

How to dodge the scam: The Tax Office’s advice

Here’s the tax office’s list of tips to keep you safe from the scammers:

Don’t open or reply to texts from unknown numbers. If you don’t recognise the sender, steer clear!
Only download official apps from the Tax Agency. Check that you’re not getting caught out with a dodgy, lookalike app.
Hacienda (the Tax Office) will never ask for payment or sensitive info via SMS or email – that’s just not how they operate.
Stick to official channels. Always use the phone numbers listed on the Agencia Tributaria website, and consider using your digital certificate, ID card, or reference number from your last tax return to verify the information.