Tax refund fraud: Financial expert warns of fake ELSTER emails & gives tips.

Tax refund fraud: Financial expert warns of fake ELSTER emails & gives tips.

According to a report by www.merkur.de, the consumer advice center warns of a new fraud scam in which criminals demand bank details from people via email, claiming that it is about tax refunds. The emails look deceptively real; the logo of the ELSTER tax app is often used to deceive the recipients. The emails contain information that tax balances from previous years can be claimed and link to fake websites that request personal information.

The consumer advice center warns against sending such emails to the spam folder if left unanswered and recommends checking the sender carefully. ELSTER itself emphasizes that the tax administration generally only sends notifications, but never the actual tax data or invoices in the form of an email attachment. The company also provides tips for dealing with such suspicious emails, such as only opening attachments from trustworthy sources or only clicking on links in emails if the origin of the email is absolutely certain.

This scam has potentially serious consequences for consumers. In addition to the loss of personal information and the associated risk of identity theft, victims may suffer financial losses. This also leads to general uncertainty and distrust of legitimate emails from government agencies. Companies like ELSTER could also suffer reputational damage if their logos and names are used for fraudulent purposes.

It is important that consumers are aware of these scams and take appropriate steps to protect their personal information and avoid falling for the scam emails. It is also important that governments and companies continue to proactively inform about such scams and take measures to protect consumers.