We are currently warning consumers not to receive a text message by being addressed with their full name and place of residence.

It is unclear where the data for the SMS with “Important message – search for (name) in (location)” comes from, because the sender has the name and place of residence as well as the telephone number of the respective recipient. The SMS says:

Important message – Search for (name) in (location) – Read here: (link)

The consumer gets the impression that they are looking for him, but that is not the case. If you follow the link in the SMS, you will be redirected to a “Media Markt” website. At this point we have to mention that this is not an official Media-Markt website.

[mk_ad]

On the first page you can see your own name alongside other “winner names”. Now you have to answer various questions until you end up with a competition form. If you fill out your data here, it will end up in a participant database. There is a risk that this private consumer data can also be used for other purposes (keyword: sale of addresses).

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Danger! However, as is so often the case, the real danger lurks in the small print. If you don't pay attention to this, you'll end up in a nasty subscription trap, because it says here:

All new customers take part in the raffle for the campaign product shown. If you are one of the lucky winners, you will be contacted directly by email. This special offer includes a 7-day trial of an affiliated subscription service. Your credit card will then automatically be charged the monthly subscription fee (EUR 84.99). If for any reason you are not satisfied with the service, you may cancel on 7 days' notice. The subscription renews monthly unless canceled. This campaign expires December 31, 2019.

At this point we can highlight the actual danger of SMS with “ Important message – search for (name) in (location)” :

Your credit card will then automatically be charged the monthly subscription fee (EUR 84.99).

If you don't pay attention to this and allow yourself to be blinded by the great prices, then you can fall into a subscription trap that costs just under EUR 85 per month.

Related to the topic: SMS from “InfoSMS” leads to a subscription trap


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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 )