“Guichet.lu and MyGuichet.lu will never contact you via text message,” the centre for state technologies and information reminds in a press release on 7 October. Messages telling recipients they are entitled to a reimbursement and inviting them to type their bank details into a site that looks like the platform have been signalled to the grand ducal police.

Phishing attempts by the pretend-guichet.lu have also been sent via e-mail. The websites to which they lead strongly resemble official websites. But, the centre reminds, users should always check the URL to make sure it isn’t a scam. Guichet.lu invites residents to call their help desk on +352 247-82000.

If in doubt, the state asks residents to not click on links in such text messages. In addition, citizens and businesses can signal phishing attempts to the Computer Incident Response Centre Luxembourg (CIRCL) while public servants can notify GovCert.

Phishing scams have been on the rise in Luxembourg, with some scammers using phones to circumvent spam filters on e-mail inboxes.