Beware: Spain warns of scam DGT email

Beware: Spain warns of scam DGT email.

A fraudulent email campaign has been detected by Spain’s Internet Security Office.

CAR owners and Spanish residents beware, the Internet Security Office of Spain is warning of a DGT email scam doing the rounds which could download malware to your device.

The warning, which was made on Wednesday, April 13 by Spain’s Internet Security Office (OSI), has stated that a fraudulent email campaign (phishing) has been detected.

The email, which is claiming to be from the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT), contains a link that, when clicked on, downloads malware (a malicious file) onto your device.

According to this office of the National Institute of Cybersecurity (Incibe), the identified emails contain the following subject line to provoke the user’s interest, notably: “Vehicle blocking – Unpaid fine”.

However, the OSI has not ruled out other emails with different subjects designed to encourage the user to download a file under some other pretext.

As noted by Spain’s OSI, the email message is characterised by:

• The sender is identified as the Ministry of the Interior.
• Contain images of official logos that try to give more credibility to the mail.
• Provide a link that pretends to belong to the electronic headquarters of the DGT, but when clicking on it, it redirects to a domain that downloads the malware.
• Use a domain in the sender’s email (the part that goes after the @) that simulates belonging to the official domain of the DGT.

A statement from the OSI noted that if you click on the image that hides the fraudulent link (Electronic Headquarters Access), a .zip file containing malware will be automatically downloaded from the web browser on the device.

Solution

If you have downloaded and run the malicious file, here is some advice offered by the National Institute of Cybersecurity (Incibe).

If you have downloaded and run the malicious file, your device may have been infected. To protect your computer, you should scan it with an up-to-date antivirus scan or follow the steps in the device disinfection section. If you need support or assistance to eliminate malware, INCIBE offers you its response and support service for security incidents.

If you have not run the downloaded file, your device may not have been infected. All you have to do is delete the file that you will find in the downloads folder. You should also send the mail you have received to the trash.

In case of doubt about the legitimacy of the email, do not click on any link and contact the company or service that supposedly sent you the email, always through their official customer service channels. In this case, the DGT offers a “citizen service telephone number” – which is 060.

“Remember that, for greater security, it is advisable to periodically make backup copies of all the information that you consider important so that, in the event that your computer is affected by a security incident, you do not lose it. It is also advisable to keep your devices updated and always protected with antivirus software,” the statement concluded.

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