Massive phishing risk on online sales portals

Online sales portals have undoubtedly made our everyday lives easier. You can sell and buy things quickly and easily. But where there is light, there is also shadow. And this shadow has been increasing alarmingly lately: phishing attacks on the platforms. One of the most popular points of attack? The renowned “Classifieds” portal. Here's how these scams work, how to protect yourself, and what to do if you've already fallen into the trap.

A new phishing scheme exposed:

The police are warning of a new, sophisticated phishing scam that is spreading on sales portals such as “classifieds”. The perpetrators are sophisticated and know their stuff well. They feign genuine interest in buying and skillfully mislead the sellers.

The process is always similar:

1. The fraudsters contact the seller and point out the “secure payment” function, which supposedly needs to be activated. You should be skeptical, because platforms like “Kleinanzeigen” already offer such options internally.
2. The unsuspecting seller receives two fake messages. One says that the goods have already been paid for with a credit card, the other says that “classifieds” would contact you.
3. Finally, the perpetrators request the seller's mobile phone number and send him a link. Clicking on this link leads to a phishing page where credit card details and possibly other personal information are collected.

If it happened: First aid after phishing:

It's not a nice feeling to have fallen for a scam. But in moments like this: keep a cool head and act quickly!

• Inform your bank : Contact your bank immediately and have any suspicious payments blocked. Depending on the situation, it may also be necessary to block the credit card.
• Change password : Did you log in to the fake site using your account details? Then change your access data immediately and inform the real support of the respective sales portal.
• Police report : Filing a report with the local police or via the online watchdog, for example the North Rhine-Westphalia police, is an important step in holding the perpetrators accountable.

Prevention: Your all-round digital protection:

“He who is warned is armed,” says an old saying. And that's exactly what matters.

• Personal initiative : Only create payment methods calmly and independently. Don't let buyers pressure you into using unknown payment methods. Always remember: if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Check links : You can check shortlinks in SMS or messenger messages using services like checkshorturl.com before clicking on them.
• Information is power : Familiarize yourself with the payment processes on the platforms. This allows you to better assess when a request is suspicious.

source

Press portal

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