Why e-Albania?
Almost every adult in Albania uses e-Albania: for fines, certificates, taxes and payments. That makes the portal ideal bait. A message "from e-Albania" doesn't feel strange, because everyone expects to hear from it now and then.
In April 2026, the Albanian State Police publicly warned about a wave of fake text messages impersonating e-Albania over unpaid vehicle fines. The link led to a page that looked like e-Albania and asked for bank card details.
What the scam looks like
The wording changes, but the pattern is always the same: an urgent problem, a small amount and a link. These are typical examples, as they arrive in Albanian:
In English: "You have an unpaid speeding fine (2,500 Lek). Pay it today to avoid it being doubled."
In English: "Your account will be deactivated within 24 hours because of unverified details. Confirm your identity here."
5 signs that give it away
- The address isn't e-albania.al. The real site is only e-albania.al. Watch for look-alikes: e-albania-gjobat.com, e-albania.al-pagesa.info, ealbania-al.net. In e-albania.al-pagesa.info, the real domain is al-pagesa.info, not e-Albania.
- Urgency. "Today", "within 24 hours", "to avoid it being doubled". The state doesn't double your fine overnight by text message.
- A small amount. A small fine gets paid without much thought. The goal isn't the 2,500 lek: it's your full card details.
- It asks for card details or a password. The fake page asks for the card number, expiry date, CVV and often the code your bank sends you by text.
- Small mistakes. Missing "ë" and "ç", an odd tone, an unknown or foreign sender. Careful: a message with no mistakes isn't necessarily real.
What to do if you clicked
Clicking alone usually isn't a disaster. What matters is what you typed into the page.
- Entered card details? Call your bank right away on the number on the back of your card and ask them to block it. Don't wait to see whether money goes missing.
- Entered your e-Albania password? Go to e-albania.al yourself and change it now. If you use the same password anywhere else (email, banking), change it there too.
- Gave away a code that came by text? That's a sign someone is trying to get into your account or approve a payment. Tell your bank immediately.
The full steps for the first 15 minutes are in I clicked a link.
Where to report it
- State Police: report it at your nearest police station or on 129. Take a screenshot of the message, including the sender's number, before you delete it.
- Your bank: if you entered card details, even if you don't see any charges yet.
- The people around you: tell your parents and colleagues. These messages go out by the thousand, and the people least familiar with them are most at risk.
For businesses
If your staff use e-Albania for work (filings, NIPT, social security), a stolen password affects more than one person. Practice is the most effective way to lower the risk: people who have seen a message like this in a safe simulation recognise the real one faster. Take the 2-minute test to see where you stand.