The Cyprus cybercrime unit has advised the public to stay vigilant following multiple complaints about scam calls and messages impersonating automated payment service operators on Friday.

This warning was prompted by a resident who reported a dubious phone call from a number claiming to be associated with a payment service, where the caller stated that approximately €200 would be deducted from an account.

The matter was reported to the criminal investigation department.

In response, the cybercrime unit said it has been receiving similar complaints in recent months and regularly issues public alerts to raise awareness of such fraud attempts.

Authorities said scam messages and calls are designed to trick recipients into clicking links or sharing personal and financial information.

The unit stressed that further similar attempts are likely and urged the public to remain cautious and verify any unexpected contact claiming to involve financial accounts.

Officials advised users to enable two-factor authentication on all online accounts, check devices connected to their profiles, and regularly review personal contact details stored on social media platforms.

They also recommended using strong, unique passwords for each account and changing them regularly.

The cybercrime unit said suspicious messages, emails or links should be forwarded to the authorities for investigation and blocking measures.

Police said efforts continue to identify and disable malicious links used in such scams.