Karolinska Institutet is not the sender of fake text messages
For some time now, various text messages have been circulated with an invitation to send an e-mail to an e-mail address that includes the words “karolinskainstituten” or “karolinska”. The invitation is justified by the claim that the sender can provide “important info for you about Coronavirus”. These text messages are fake and should not be answered! Karolinska Institutet is not the sender of these text messages.
One of the fake text messages sent in KI’s name (see picture) is one where the text bubble reads: “Hi! We have important info for you about the Coronavirus. Please contact us at karolinskainstituten@gmail.comwith the subject line COVID2019 and we will get back to you. Kind Regards”. KI is not the sender of these text messages.
KI became aware of these SMS invitations on Wednesday, 4 March, and were immediately reported to the university's security unit and IT department.
“The purpose of these text messages is for us unknown, but it is obvious that the sender is trying to use Karolinska Institutet's name to get people to send an e-mail to the specified e-mail addresses,” says Annika Sjöborg, Head of Security at Karolinska Institutet.
“We urge everyone to refrain from sending any e-mails to the stated addresses.”
Karolinska Institutet has now reported these text messages to the police.
“We have no way of determining who is the sender of these fake text messages by ourselves,” says Annika Sjöborg.