São Paulo's Municipal Health Secretariat (SMS) has issued a public warning about a fraudulent website that was impersonating the official page of the Coordenação de Vigilância em Saúde (Covisa). The secretariat confirmed the deceptive site, which used the address 'vigilanciadigital-sp.com.br', has been taken offline following the alert.
The fake page was designed to closely mimic an official government portal. It featured the city's coat of arms, a red banner reading 'Prefeitura do Município de São Paulo', and a prominent button prompting users to 'Entrar com gov.br' (Log in with gov.br). The site's menu included options like 'Painel', 'Regularize-se', and 'Denúncia', attempting to appear as a legitimate service hub for health surveillance and regulation.
According to the SMS, the fraudulent site was demanding user login credentials and purportedly offering official services. The secretariat stressed in its official communication that it 'does not request the sending of personal data nor payments through online pages.' Accessing such a fake site, they warned, could lead users to believe they are using a legitimate service, potentially resulting in financial loss or the misuse of their personal information.
For citizens seeking authentic information, the SMS directs the public to the official Covisa channel at 'prefeitura.sp.gov.br/web/saude/vigilancia_em_saude/'. The secretariat also advises visiting the nearest Unidade Básica de Saúde (UBS) for clarifications and to follow only the official social media channels of the São Paulo city government for updates.
The case was also flagged by the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services (MGI) as a 'digital identity theft scam.' The ministry provided several security tips to avoid such 'social engineering' attacks. These include treating your GOV.BR password with the same security as a bank password, upgrading your account to 'Gold' level to enable facial biometrics, and activating two-step verification for an extra layer of protection.
Furthermore, the MGI recommends users regularly monitor which devices and locations have recently accessed their account through the management tools. Crucially, citizens should always verify the website address (URL) before entering any personal data. The ministry assured that there are no records of breaches or data leaks on the GOV.BR platform itself, which employs daily monitoring technologies to ensure security.
The incident highlights the ongoing risks of sophisticated phishing attempts that target public service users. Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant, verify website authenticity through official channels, and never share sensitive login information on unverified platforms. Based on reporting from g1.