Europol summons: Beware, fake!

We have already come across many letters that supposedly come from Europol, the Federal Criminal Police Office, Interpol, the Federal Police, etc. Here is a short summary of their contents:

The recipients are accused of having committed various crimes. These usually have a sexual background such as cyber pornography, pedophilia, exhibitionism, etc. You always have a deadline - usually 24, 48 or 72 hours - to respond to the email. Otherwise an arrest is imminent and the case should also be passed on to the media.

The fraudsters behind sending such emails probably hope that the recipients will become nervous. Even if you have not done anything that could justify such accusations, you would at least like to have this clarified or prevent such false allegations from actually becoming public.

Brief analysis of the writing

• The logo of Europol and the Austrian police adorn the letterhead.
• The Brigade for the Protection of Minors (BPM – Brigade de protection des mineurs) mentioned in the letter is part of the French National Police. – So some authorities from different countries are mixed here.
• In addition to the headquarters in The Hague, an information section on Europol also states the year it was founded, as well as the geographical coordinates, the number of employees from six years ago, and the budget from five years ago. – Not information normally found on a letterhead.
• An email address is indicated in the letter. – Official authorities do not use GMail for their communications.
• The letter itself lists several crimes. – But what exactly it is is not explained.
• “Legalize document” – What does this mean at the end of the letter? Although cited, this letter has nothing to do with anything legal.
• The graphic in the background – What would an official Europol document be without the pixelated purple flame? (warning, sarcasm)

Take a deep breath, don't react too quickly!

We have been warning about such fake subpoenas for some time. Here are just a few of our articles:

• Summons from the Berlin police, Europol and Interpol
• Warning about Europol emails: Beware, fake!
• Austrian Police – Be careful, fake email!
• Warning about emails from the Federal Police: Beware, fake!

There are also warnings about such emails at polizei-praevention.de and by the Austrian Federal Criminal Police Office

Under no circumstances should you respond to such emails.
As soon as you answer, you confirm to the criminals that your email address exists. As a result, you have to expect a large amount of money to be demanded. Therefore, it is best to move the email unread to the Junk Mail folder.

To summarize again how you can recognize the fake:

• Email addresses: Look closely at the sender's email address. The police don't use GMail addresses!
• Missing salutation: If there is no salutation and you are only addressed with a “Hello” or “Dear Madam, Dear Sir”, you can assume that the letter was sent en masse to countless people.
• No specific description of the crime: You are accused of a crime. But what exactly it is is not explained - i.e. when, what, where was consumed or shared.
• Time pressure and numerous threats: Writing creates pressure to respond immediately. If you don't respond within 72 hours, a warrant will allegedly be issued for your arrest. “Your case” will also be passed on to the media and you will be publicly exposed.
• Punishment without a hearing: You will be punished without a hearing or personal testimony. This is not an official procedure!
• The graphic in the background

Therefore: Do not respond, move the email to the spam folder.

Already read? No, the WEF does not have a swastika as a new symbol!