Beware bogus water-supply messages

Fraudsters have impersonated the Water Supplies Department and sent SMS messages to residents requesting payment.

The department issued an alert to the public yesterday morning about fraudulent messages in response to inquiries from the public.

"These messages requested that recipients settle outstanding payments and click the following links, which are not WSD's website addresses," it said.

The department said it had reported the case to the police.

"The WSD clarified that it did not send the SMS messages in question and will not direct customers to other websites with hyperlinks embedded in an SMS message," it said.

"The department is registered in the SMS Sender Registration Scheme by the Office of the Communications Authority. All SMS messages issued by the department will include the prefix '#' in the SMS Sender ID for easy identification," it added.

The department also urged individuals who have already provided their personal information through the link to contact the police.