The trap from the “ Federal Ministry of Finance ” comes via SMS

Perpetrators are currently using an SMS to try to direct the recipients of the SMS to a fake page that looks like the Federal Ministry of Finance. The following content is in circulation as SMS (sic!):
“You still need to receive a contribution of 254.33.
Verify yourself and receive the amount via: http://ruckkehr -de .biz” or
“The government has decided that you will receive a refund of €278.35.
Click here to receive payment. [Link removed]” Other website names/spellings/short links/text modules (also with https) are conceivable.
This is what the false website of the “Federal Ministry of Finance” looks like
Anyone who follows this link will first land on an upstream bot query in which they must confirm that they are human.

Anyone who clicks on “Submit” will then be directed to a fake website that is supposed to be the website of the Federal Ministry of Finance and looks very similar to it. Here the perpetrators simply use a logo with “Federal Ministry of Finance” and offer the appropriate links to the common banks in Germany. The links should then be used to register in the online banking app.

If you click on a link, the perpetrators will redirect you to the corresponding phishing pages.
We have chosen Sparkasse and Volksbank as an example. Use on a smartphone/tablet that is already equipped with online banking may have a different effect and the corresponding apps may be accessed at the same time or afterwards.


Important! This SMS does not come from the Federal Ministry of Finance
The promised amount of 254.33 or 278.35 euros is intended to entice recipients in times of gas levy/energy flat rate to access these fake pages and the following pages with online banking phishing. In addition, it cannot be ruled out that malware is still being loaded in the background on such sites.
If you just opened the SMS you received, then nothing has happened yet. However, if you have clicked on the link, this may look different. For these reasons, we recommend that you check the device you are using with up-to-date anti-virus software as a precautionary measure.
If you have now followed the instructions on the fake website and linked your online banking/entered access details, then inform your bank immediately! Have your online banking blocked and apply for new access. Then, take your time to file a report at your local police station or use the relevant online watchdog (if available).
Tip: If you are unsure whether a login page is real, then enter imaginary data. If the login still works, you can be sure that you have landed on a fake site!
The ministry's real website (bundesfinanzministerium.de) also points out the current danger:
The Federal Ministry of Finance writes the following on this topic:
- We, the Federal Ministry of Finance, always write to you directly by name.
- The Federal Ministry of Finance does not send SMS or WhatsApp messages.
- If you have any doubts, please feel free to message us or contact your local police station.
- The Federal Office for Information Security also provides further information on the topics of “smishing” – SMS phishing in autumn 2021 with new scams and how to recognize phishing emails .
Source:
Police-Prevention.de
Related to the topic: False SMS from the Federal Ministry of Finance leads to a multi-bank trap
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Notes:
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