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The National Insurance Institute issued a warning Monday following a surge in fake messages falsely claiming to be sent by the government body.
The messages appear to alert recipients of “unusual activity” in their accounts and feature a link to a fraudulent website, part of a sophisticated phishing scheme designed to steal personal information and bank account details.
According to the statement, the messages encourage recipients to click on a link under the pretense of a security alert. However, the National Insurance Institute clarified that it is not the source of the messages and that the link leads to a spoofed site intended to harvest sensitive data.
The institute emphasized that individuals should not share personal information or click on links in such messages. It added that its cybersecurity and IT teams are handling the situation in coordination with professional authorities. The incident is not classified as a cyberattack on National Insurance systems but rather as an external fraud operation using common deception tactics.
Phishing scams of this nature are not new in Israel but are becoming more frequent and increasingly sophisticated. In the past year alone, dozens of cases have been reported involving impersonation of entities such as the Tax Authority, the Health Ministry, banks, credit card companies and even the military recruitment office. Victims—often elderly individuals or those with limited digital literacy—have reported stolen funds, unauthorized financial commitments and in some cases, full identity theft.
How can you tell it’s a scam?
Impersonation of official institutions has become one of the most common methods in digital fraud. Scammers typically attempt to create a sense of urgency or fear—warning about account closures, unusual activity, or the urgent need to verify personal data. National Insurance advises that a simple rule of thumb is to check the website address: if it doesn’t end in .gov.il, it’s a scam.
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Additional red flags include spelling and grammatical errors in the message, suspicious or unprofessional graphic design, pressure-inducing language such as “If you don’t verify your details within 24 hours, your account will be closed,” and requests to enter passwords or banking details—something no government institution would ever ask you to do via SMS.
What should you do if you receive a suspicious message?
- Do not click on the link.
- Do not enter any personal information.
- Take a screenshot of the message and report it—either directly to the National Insurance Institute or to Israel’s National Cyber Directorate.
- Check the sender’s details—often, the name will be generic, and the email address or phone number will be unfamiliar, frequently from an international source.
- Access the National Insurance website independently, not through links sent via messages.
National Insurance Institute urges the public to exercise caution and remember: official institutions will never ask you to submit passwords or sensitive information through links in text messages.