Fraudsters are currently making prey almost every day using the well-known “ Hello Mom” WhatsApp scam and fraudulent eBay customers. Because of the variety of criminal scams, the police have a serious appeal:

If you are contacted on the phone or cell phone and it is about your money, valuables or bank details - no matter what the background and no matter who - it is ALWAYS an attempted fraud. Hang up immediately and end contact! Never give in to demands! Contact a trusted person or the police.

To all relatives, friends and acquaintances of older people: Talk to older people about scams and pass on our tip! Make it clear that no matter who is calling or what they are saying, it is always a scam.

A current scam via WhatsApp

A 75-year-old Paderborn woman received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number on Tuesday. The message said that it was from her daughter and that her cell phone was broken. This is her new number that her mother should save.

During the chat, the alleged daughter asked to make two transfers of over 2,000 euros because she did not yet have access to her online banking. A real-time transfer was requested. The senior citizen went to the bank and transferred the money at the counter. The fraudster later requested further transfers. This didn't happen again because the fraud was exposed.

A fraudulent buyer on eBay

A sales offer on eBay classifieds was fatal for a 26-year-old Paderborn student. A customer contacted us on Tuesday evening and an agreement was reached about a purchase. To pay, the buyer sent a link to a bank through which the money would be transferred immediately.

The seller clicked on the link and had to enter his bank details and debit card details on a website. When he later checked online banking to see whether the purchase amount had been received, he found that instead several debits had been made and over 3,000 euros were missing from the account. Some of the bookings were made to foreign accounts.

Source: PP/Paderborn Police

Also interesting:

Do you sell via an online marketplace willhaben, laendleanzeiger.at, shpock and Co?
Beware of fraudulent buyers. – Online marketplace: Be careful when buyers send links to courier services and payment platforms


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