On Monday, June 26, 2023, numerous concerned citizens reported to the criminal police in Flensburg. They had become victims of a new, sophisticated scam: They received messages by email that supposedly came from the Federal Police or another police authority. The content was disturbing: they were accused of a crime about which they were supposed to comment.
Deceptively genuine scam emails
These forged letters were titled “Mandate for Trial” and had a high degree of authenticity. The use of official police logos and trademarks made the emails appear trustworthy. The recipients were given a deadline within which to respond to the allegations. If this deadline was missed, criminal charges were allegedly threatened.
Drastic threats: imprisonment and heavy fines
In the scam emails, the recipients were informed - without naming them - that an arrest warrant or legal proceedings had been initiated against them. Possible prison sentences of up to 35 years and fines of up to 160,000 euros were promised. Recipients were asked to respond via email within 72 hours. Otherwise, charges will be threatened.
The fraudsters' goal: data and money
However, the truth behind these frightening emails is no less disturbing: they are scams. The emails do not come from the police. The aim of so-called spam emails is to obtain the recipient's personal data. As the process progresses, the fraudsters try to get the recipients to make any payments.
Caution and recommended action
If you have received such an email yourself, it is important not to respond to it under any circumstances or even to pay any amount that may be requested . The best protection against this type of fraud is to be vigilant and, if in doubt, to check with the relevant police station. Fraudulent emails can also be reported to the Internet Complaint Center to protect other potential victims.
Also read: Fact check: Image supposedly shows Titan submarine controller at the bottom of the sea
Source:
Press portal
If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:
📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.
Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!
* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!
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 )

