The Regional Water Company “Prishtina” (KRU Prishtina) issued an urgent public warning on Tuesday afternoon, advising consumers to remain highly vigilant against an active SMS phishing (smishing) scam targeting local citizens.
According to the water utility’s official press release, text messages are being blasted to citizens’ mobile phones from an unverified, international number attempting to impersonate the state utility—likely to harvest financial details or extort fraudulent bill payments.
Anatomy of the Attack: The Fake Number Revealed
Cybersecurity teams at KRU Prishtina identified the malicious sender and released the precise phone number to the public to prevent financial losses.
- The Fraudulent Number:
+63 960 561 0623(Country code associated with the Philippines). - The Official Directives: The company stated that if you receive any notification regarding water bills, debt, or disconnections from this specific number, you must completely ignore it, delete it, and refrain from replying.
“Utility Statement on Identity Theft: This number does not belong to KRU ‘Prishtina,’ and the messages sent from it are not official communications from our corporation. It is definitively confirmed to be an organized fraud and phishing attempt targeting our customer base.”
Protecting Personal and Financial Data
With financial digital fraud ticking upward across the region, utility executives are reminding the public of basic cyber hygiene protocols.
KRU Prishtina Urgent Safety Protocol:
[DO NOT SHARE] --> Bank account numbers, credit card details, PINs, or security codes.
[DO NOT CLICK] --> Hyperlinks attached to messages claiming your water will be cut off.
[DO NOT SHARE] --> Personal identification numbers (ID details) or home addresses via SMS.
KRU Prishtina concluded its emergency broadcast by reminding citizens that official notifications regarding debt balance, technical maintenance, or billing discrepancies are only conducted via authorized domestic networks and verified digital channels.
For any inquiries regarding your balance, always cross-reference directly via the official KRU Prishtina smartphone application or their physical customer service hubs.
