Czech health insurance company VZP is warning the public about a surge of fraudulent emails promising refunds of insurance premiums.

The scam, which has already tricked multiple victims, urges recipients to provide personal and banking details in exchange for sums around 11,580 crowns.

Jan Svoboda, Director of VZP’s Security Department, said the scam emails are sophisticated and convincing.

“We are registering an extreme wave of fraudulent emails bearing the VZP logo and a number of valid elements that can confuse recipients. The messages promise a refund of overpayment from health insurance, and dangerous emails could have arrived at up to hundreds of thousands of addresses,” he explained.

The emails claim that the refund is ready for transfer, but require the recipient’s authorization within 14 days, adding a false sense of urgency. This combination of a precise amount and time pressure is designed to create trust and provoke immediate action.

However, experts say the fraud can often be identified by checking the sender’s email address. Official VZP communications always come from addresses in the form [email protected]

Fraudulent emails usually use random character strings or suspicious foreign domains.

A recent case illustrates the risk. A woman from the Jičín region followed a link from a scam email to a fake web interface, where she was asked to enter her payment card details, including security codes. She was then prompted to confirm the transaction in her online banking. Instead of receiving the promised refund, 11,580 crowns were withdrawn from her account.

Police spokesman Martin Stránský urged the public to verify any refund requests directly with the insurance company. “People should always confirm the authenticity of emails, websites, and refund requests either in person or by phone. Insurance companies or other institutions do not require the entry of payment card details to issue refunds,” he said.

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