Through job advertisements on job boards, websites or via email, they pose as representatives of seemingly reputable companies. Your goal: to obtain banking information through these fake job advertisements. That's why the state and federal police crime prevention agencies and eBay Kleinanzeigen have jointly launched a prevention campaign that draws users' attention to the dangers of dubious job advertisements and supposedly lucrative additional income opportunities.
Be careful with your dream job
It seems to be the supposed dream job: Earn money from your home office on the side and with a free schedule - and without any special qualifications or certificates. But the initial euphoria quickly fades. Once interest has been aroused, users are almost trapped because there are actually fraudsters behind the apparently attractive job advertisement.
Scam to get bank details
In order to obtain personal data, they specifically use fictitious job advertisements and promise handsome wages for little effort. Unsuspecting interested parties are asked to open a bank account for “test purposes” or to “verify” their own information. Fraudsters then use the bank account opened in this way for their criminal activities. In other cases, interested parties should provide an existing bank account for transactions. They then receive payments that they are supposed to forward to other accounts, often abroad. Part of the sum may be withheld as wages.
Identity theft is also possible
It becomes particularly perfidious when fraudsters assume the identity of interested parties and offer goods that they do not deliver - identity theft. This can have serious consequences. On the one hand, the mini-jobbers themselves become victims, and on the other hand, they are threatened with criminal charges for fraud or suspected money laundering.
Prevention campaign provides information about the dangers of fraudulent job advertisements
The state and federal police crime prevention agencies and eBay Classifieds warn against exactly these scams with their own job advertisements nationwide. For this purpose, “lure offers” were created and published on the online classifieds market in metropolitan areas in various cities, including Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Munich. These look very similar to job advertisements from fraudsters, but they warn urgently about the dangers in the advertisement description, explain possible patterns and give valuable tips.
“We can see how important this prevention work is by the reactions to our advertisements. We receive numerous inquiries every day from users who show interest in the advertised position. It is important to us to make users aware of dangers like these.”
Paul Heimann, CEO of eBay Classifieds.
A week after the ads were published, they had already received over 5,000 views. Around 200 users have saved the supposed job offers on their watch list. In more than 100 inquiries, interested parties inquired about details, asked for tips or had comprehensive information sent to them. Occasionally, users also reported personal experiences.
This way, users can protect themselves when posting online job advertisements
“We recommend job seekers not to be blinded by lucrative offers and to check every advertisement carefully. Does the company that published an ad really exist? Is the work assignment serious, sensible and logical? Is the job compensated appropriately or noticeably generously? Basically, the more tempting an offer is, the more suspicious you should be.”
Harald Schmidt, Managing Director of the State and Federal Police Crime Prevention Unit.
The police crime prevention department also advises not to share sensitive information with strangers. With reputable providers and companies, the provider usually communicates not only via email or messenger service. Furthermore, accounts should never be opened on behalf of third parties. Suspicious job advertisements can be easily reported on eBay Classifieds using the “Report Ad” function. Anyone who suspects they have become a victim of fraud should contact the local police station.
An overview of online watchdogs where reports can also be filed can be found, among others, at the Federal Criminal Police Office . On the Police Crime Prevention website you will find comprehensive information on the subject of fraud and security tips from the police.
Source: Police-Beratung.de
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