Iraq's Interior Ministry warns citizens over suspicious phishing links

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Interior Ministry issued a cybersecurity alert on Sunday warning citizens against suspicious electronic links that impersonate government or service institutions. The ministry's Directorate of Cybersecurity said the fraudulent links are being distributed through text messages and social media platforms. According to the directorate, the links redirect users to fake websites designed to steal personal and banking data and to gain control of accounts and devices. Officials said the messages typically lure recipients with pretexts such as traffic-fine inquiries, data updates, payment or grant collection, or notices that a service has been suspended. The directorate urged the public not to click links from unknown sources and to refrain from entering passwords, banking details or verification codes. It also said official services should only be accessed through the institutions' own websites and applications, and that apps or files should not be downloaded from untrusted links.