The Social Security Institute (Instituto da Segurança Social or ISS) has issued its sixth alert this year regarding fraudulent messages sent in its name. The phishing attempts use links that mimic the official portal to solicit personal or banking information. The ISS, led by Pedro Corte Real, emphasizes that it never requests sensitive data via SMS or messaging apps and urges the public to use only official channels.
Social Security warns of ongoing phishing attempts
Wednesday, 2 September 2026AI summary
Context & Explainers
The Social Security Institute (Instituto da Segurança Social) is the public agency that runs Portugal’s social security system, administering pensions, unemployment benefits, family support and local social services. It also coordinates emergency social responses through local offices and mobile teams — for example, the institute mobilized over 200 technicians after recent storms and supported 1,537 displaced people as of 14 February; residents affected should contact their local Social Security office or municipal authority for assistance.
Phishing is a fraudulent practice where scammers send deceptive emails or messages that mimic legitimate organizations to steal personal or financial information. In Portugal, these attacks often target users of public services like the Social Security Institute (Instituto da Segurança Social or ISS) by including malicious links designed to capture sensitive data.
