Scam texts and calls in Czechia: how to spot them, and what to do if you clicked.
The scams that reach expats here look official and arrive in Czech, which is exactly why they work. These are the ones doing the rounds, how to check a message in under a minute, and the order to fix things in if you already tapped the link.
By Josh, Reboot Prague · Last updated October 2026
The ones doing the rounds
- Parcel texts. "Your parcel is on hold, pay a small fee" in the name of Česká pošta, PPL, DPD, GLS or Zásilkovna. If a parcel really owes customs or a fee, you'll see it when you look it up yourself in the carrier's own app or website.
- Health insurer and authority texts. In September 2026 Czech police warned about a large wave of fake messages in the name of VZP, the country's biggest health insurer, leading to convincing copies of its website. The same trick is used for tax refunds, fines and energy bills.
- Parking and toll texts. "Unpaid parking" with a fake EasyPark link, or an unpaid motorway toll. Police have said plainly that no institution sends texts demanding urgent payment of a fine or debt. The motorway vignette is sold at edalnice.cz; look-alike sites charge extra for the same thing.
- The "bank security department" call. Someone from "your bank" or "the police" says your account is under attack or a loan is being taken out in your name. Then they ask you to move money to a "safe account", read out a code, install an app or hand cash to a courier. The number on your screen can be faked to look exactly like your bank's.
- Marketplace "courier" links. You're selling on Bazoš, Sbazar, Vinted or Facebook Marketplace, and a buyer agrees without haggling, then sends a link to "receive the payment" or "arrange delivery". The page wants your card number, expiry date and code. Receiving money never needs those.
- "Install this so I can help." A caller asks you to install AnyDesk, TeamViewer, RustDesk or "a security app". That hands them your screen, and very often your banking.
Checking a message in under a minute
- Don't tap the link. Open the carrier's or bank's own app, or type the website yourself. Anything real will be waiting there too.
- Urgency plus payment means scam. "Today", "small fee", "your account will be blocked": real organisations don't settle things through a link in a text.
- Translate it without opening it. Copy the text into your phone's translate app or use the camera translate. Don't open the site to read it.
- Call back on a number you already trust. Hang up and ring the number on the back of your card or in the bank's app. A faked caller ID can show the bank's real number; calling back is what breaks the trick.
- Ask someone who reads Czech. Or send me a screenshot. Telling you whether a message is real is free.
Clicked, typed or installed something? The first hour
Order matters here. Money first, then access, then everything else.
- Typed in card details: call your bank now on the number on your card or in its app, and block the card. Most Czech banking apps can also freeze a card in a couple of taps while you wait on the line.
- Gave a banking login or read out a code: tell the bank your internet banking may be compromised. They can block access and check recent payments. Change the password afterwards, from a device you trust.
- Installed a remote-access app: switch off Wi-Fi and mobile data on that device, uninstall the app, and don't log in to banking on it until it has been checked.
- Typed an email or social media password: change it, turn on two-factor, then check the sign-in activity and the recovery email and phone number. Attackers like to change those so they can get back in later.
- Report it. Czech police take reports at any station; 158 is the police number and 112 the general emergency number. Bring the texts, screenshots and any payment details. A report helps with the bank and with insurance.
Lost money?
Tell your bank the same day. The sooner it knows, the better the chance of stopping or recalling a payment. Recovering money is between you, the bank and the police; the device and account side is where I come in.
Where I can help
- Checking the device afterwards. Remote-access tools, unknown apps, browser extensions and settings that shouldn't be there, on a phone or a laptop. See virus and malware removal.
- Getting accounts back and locking them down. Passwords, two-factor, recovery details, and a check of where you're still signed in. See hacked and locked-out accounts.
- Making the next one easier to spot. Turning on your phone's own spam filtering for calls and texts, and showing you how to check where a link goes before you tap it.
Got a message you're not sure about?
Send me a screenshot. I'll tell you whether it's real, free of charge.
Frequently asked
Is a text from Česká pošta asking for a fee a scam?
Usually, yes. If a parcel genuinely owes customs or a fee, it shows up when you look the parcel up yourself in the carrier's app or website. A text with a link and a deadline is the scam version.
Can scammers really call from my bank's number?
Yes. Caller ID can be faked, so a call showing your bank's real number proves nothing. Hang up and call the bank back on the number on your card or in its app.
I read out a code from my banking app to a caller. What now?
Call your bank straight away on its official number and tell them. Those codes usually approve a login or a payment, so the bank needs to block access and check recent activity.
Does antivirus stop these scams?
Mostly not. These scams rarely install anything; they get you to type details into a convincing page or read out a code. Knowing the patterns protects you more than any app.
Want me to check a device or an account?
If you clicked something, installed an app for a caller or think an account is compromised, tell me what happened. You'll hear back with what to do first and what it would take.
Mon–Fri, 9:00–19:00 · usually a reply within a few hours