EDP alerts customers to more sophisticated fraud attempts

Receiving an email that contains the correct name, address, or tax identification number is no longer a guarantee of authenticity. EDP is warning consumers about a new type of fraud that uses personalised customer information to imitate legitimate communications from the company. 

EDP has seen a growing level of sophistication in fraud attempts carried out in its name to target consumers. While most cases previously reported by customers involved generic SMS messages requesting fraudulent payments, a new scam has recently emerged involving emails designed to mimic official EDP communications and which may include personalised customer information, such as the Delivery Point Code. 

This new approach represents an evolution of previously identified schemes, as it relies on personalised information to increase the credibility of messages and persuade consumers to make unauthorised payments. The information used in these communications may originate from different sources, including data voluntarily shared by consumers on digital platforms. The company continues to investigate the origin of this information and the platforms that may have been used to collect it. 

EDP reiterates that it never requests bank details, passwords, or access credentials via SMS or email and advises consumers to be particularly cautious of communications that create a sense of urgency around payments or request sensitive information. EDP Comercial's payment entities are exclusively 20174 and 23013 for residential customers, and 12223 and 21196 for business customers. 

The company also advises consumers to always verify the authenticity of payment requests received via SMS or email by carefully checking the sender and the information contained in the communication. In the case of email communications, EDP always sends its invoices as PDF attachments and does not provide links within the body of the email for direct invoice access. 

EDP also recommends signing up for direct debit payments, the safest way to pay invoices as it eliminates the risk associated with the use of fraudulent payment references. 

EDP Continues to Strengthen Consumer Awareness 

If in doubt, consumers should use the EDP's fraud verification tool, available on EDP's website, or contact the company's official channels to verify the legitimacy of any communication received. 

As part of its fraud prevention and anti-fraud strategy, EDP provides verification tools and regularly shares recommendations to help consumers identify potential scams. In this context, the company also maintains a partnership with SIBS to accelerate the identification and blocking of fraudulent payment references 

Since the beginning of the year, EDP has received more than 3,000 reports of attempted fraud, representing a 4% increase compared to the same period last year. This trend may reflect greater awareness and vigilance among customers, resulting from EDP Comercial's ongoing efforts to inform and educate customers, employees, and the wider public about fraud prevention.