Reading the list of crimes sends shivers down your spine: child pornography, pedophilia, exhibitionism, cyber pornography, sex trafficking.
Fake letter in the name of Europol and the Federal Criminal Police Office
The logos of Europol and the Federal Criminal Police Office adorn the letterhead.
The letter is said to have been written by “Winfried Wenzel, Commissioner General of the Federal Police, who was elected Director of the EUROPEAN CYBERCRIME CENTER by EUROPOL” (sic!). Above the text we read the heading “Minor Protection Brigade”. ( Editor's note: There is a youth protection brigade, but its employees have probably already reached adulthood. )
Apparently a computer was confiscated and now you would be the subject of several lawsuits for the crimes just mentioned: "You committed these crimes after browsing the Internet (advertising sites, pornographic sites, dating sites, etc.)" (sic!) - What? What should this sentence continue to read?
You should “make your voice heard” via email and write justifications that will be examined and reviewed in order to assess the penalties. The countdown is on – you have 48 hours.
The various letters only differ minimally, for example when it comes to email addresses or names of those responsible; the content is always the same.
It should be clear at first glance, but at the latest when reading the letter, that this cannot come from an official authority.
Such letters have been sent for a long time. We reported HERE , HERE and HERE . The senders and email addresses listed vary, but always have to do with the police, Interpol or Europol.
Should I reply to this email?
No, absolutely not. This fake email does not come from the police, but from criminals. Once you respond, you confirm to the criminals that your email address exists. As a result, you can expect to be asked for a large amount of money.
How do I know it's a scam?
- Email addresses: Look closely at the sender's email address. You should also reply to an AOL address. These are not official police email addresses.
- Missing salutation: If there is no salutation and you are only addressed with a “Hello” or “Dear Madam, Dear Sir”, you can assume that the letter was sent en masse to countless people.
- Different forms of address: Sometimes you're called "Dutz", sometimes you're called Siez.
- No specific description of the crime: You are accused of a crime. But what exactly it is is not explained - i.e. when, what, where was consumed or shared.
- Time pressure and numerous threats: Writing creates pressure to respond immediately. If you don't respond within 48 hours, an arrest warrant will allegedly be issued for you. “Your file” will also be passed on to the media and you will be publicly exposed.
- Punishment without a hearing: You will be punished without a hearing or personal testimony. This is not an official procedure!
- Incomplete sentences, translation errors: Pay attention to the spelling. There are incomplete sentences, various terminology and some of the grammar is incorrect.
No official authority sends such documents!
There are already numerous warnings about this scam:
Federal Police , Federal Criminal Police Office (DE) , Federal Criminal Police Office (AT) , Watchlist Internet
You might also be interested in: Bank phishing: Police warn of new scam
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 )