Iraq’s Interior Ministry warns of fake government links stealing bank details

BAGHDAD — The Interior Ministry has warned of links circulating by message and social media that impersonate government and service agencies and lead to fraudulent sites built to steal personal and banking details or take over accounts and devices.

The links use a range of pretexts, its Cybersecurity Directorate said: checking traffic fines, updating personal information, receiving grants or payments, and avoiding suspension of services. It urged people not to open links from unknown sources or enter passwords, banking details or one-time codes on unverified sites, to use only official government websites and apps, and not to download files from untrusted links.

The warning comes as Iraq moves more salaries and government transactions onto banking and digital platforms. Much of the public payroll has shifted to direct deposit under the Tawtin salary localisation programme, giving employees debit cards, ATMs and online banking rather than cash.