Numerous cases of fraud in a short period of time

Messenger fraud: The supposed cry for help
On December 4, 2023, a 70-year-old woman received a message that appeared to come from her daughter. After a WhatsApp dialogue, the alleged child asked for money for outstanding bills. Only after the woman submitted the transfer slip to her bank did she notice the fraud. Fortunately, the payment was stopped.

Phishing attacks: The wrong bank
Another case occurred on December 5th in Frankenthal. A 49-year-old man received a text message from suspected fraudsters posing as his bank. They claimed that his banking app had expired and redirected him to a fake website via a link. There the man entered his bank details and the fraudsters stole 1,800 euros.

False promises of winnings: The trick with winning the lottery
On December 6th, a 74-year-old man was contacted by an alleged lottery company. It was suggested to him that he had taken out a subscription and now had to pay monthly. However, the man was not fooled and asked for written proof, whereupon the fraudster hung up.

The Fake Policeman Scam
Between December 4th and 7th, several seniors between the ages of 74 and 86 were called by scammers posing as police officers. Fortunately, everyone called recognized the fraud and hung up before any damage could occur.

Danger from anonymous calls
A 65-year-old woman received several calls from an anonymous number on December 7th. An announcement threatened to debit 600 euros if she didn't respond to the instructions. The woman saw through the scam and hung up.

Fraud protection measures

To protect yourself from fraud, citizens should follow the following tips:

  • Be skeptical if unknown callers pretend to be public officials.
  • Never hand over money or valuables to strangers.
  • Be careful with emails from unknown senders and do not open attachments.
  • Use two-factor authentication to further protect your accounts.

Conclusion: Mindfulness is the best protection

Recent fraud cases clearly show how important it is to be vigilant and not be fooled by perceived authorities or urgent requests. By staying informed and skeptical, we can protect ourselves and our loved ones from such scams.

Finally, we would like to invite you to subscribe to the Mimikama newsletter to stay up to date. You can also use our media education offering to find out more about this important topic.

Source: press portal

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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )