Kela has warned customers to beware of scam emails that have been sent in the state benefit agency’s name.
The emails erroneously claim that the recipient's personal health and credit card information have been compromised in a suspected leak.
Written in Finnish, the scam message contains a link which directs the recipient to log into a website that resembles the Suomi.fi login page, which is often used by citizens as a secure gateway to communicate with companies and authorities.
This fake landing page then attempts to obtain the customer’s online banking ID and credit card information.
While announcing the discovery of the phishing scam, Kela also reminded customers that it never asks for sensitive personal information by email or text message, and advises anyone who receives such an email not to reply and not to enter information in the required fields.
The links in the message should also not be opened, Kela added, and advises customers who suspect that their credit card or online banking information has fallen into the wrong hands to contact their bank's customer service.