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Several Spanish companies have been alerted of the reception of a communiqué by e-mail to tries to impersonate the Ministry of Economy to ask that you make a “contribution” to the State before the crisis caused by the pandemic coronavirus.

“The Government of Spain, he comes to you to respond to the crisis and the institutional, economic, and health that affects our Country today,” said the document, sent in an email signed by Román Escolano , former minister of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness with the former president of the Gobbierno Mariano Rajoy.

The authors of the communiqué argue that the Government of Spain can not rely on the “European Banks” , because this would “in a negative way on the economy” in spain. The text of the email adds that the eu “will come” and “will not be as generous as had been thought”.

Finally, the Ministry offers the companies a “deduction of expenses of tax” for each “donation, contributions and/or support” that made intended to buy “material medical”, stop the “economic downturn” and to avoid the unemployment exceed “the 20 %”.

Attempt impersonation

this Is a press release that you try to impersonate the Ministry of Economy to ask companies to get in touch with this department to send help to the State.

in Addition to some spelling mistakes, several details in the wording to show that it is a press release fake , as well as have confirmed to Efe sources of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation.

The text begins with the heading, “Statement from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness”, a portfolio that existed with that name from 2011 to 2016 , as reflected in the royal decree with the structure of the first Government of Rajoy.

Luis de Guindos was head of this department, with competences in economy, R+D+i and trade, and continued as financial manager of Rajoy during his second government, when the portfolio amounted to the powers of Industry and changed its name to “Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness”.

In march 2018, after being appointed vice-president of the European Central Bank, De Guindos was replaced by Román Escolano , who subscribes to this fraudulent email.

The “e-mail” is sent from a domain that is currently used by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation , “economia.gov. it is”, but the full address is not running, confirmed to EFE from this department.

To contribute to the deception, both the email and the press release use the logo of the Government of Spain . The signature of the e-mail adds, in addition, the letterhead of the now-defunct Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade (ICEX), which currently depends on the portfolio of Industry, Tourism and Trade, led by Reyes Maroto.

Finally, the text of the email includes a legend about the data protection policy that mentions the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, whose owner is Nadia Calviño, and it is linked to your website www.mineco.gob.es.