Beware of fraudulent phone calls - How to protect yourself from financial scams

According to a report by www.chip.de,

It becomes even more dangerous when the callers talk about alleged account seizures or legal proceedings that would threaten if invoices from competitions are not paid. For example, a senior citizen was threatened that law enforcement officers would come to her if she did not hand over her entire savings to the fraudsters. After the phone calls, the woman paid around 16,000 euros to an alleged VZ messenger.

In another scam, the callers inform about an alleged debt collection claim that must be paid immediately in cash. Here, too, a “security employee from the consumer advice center” comes by the victim to collect the money. A consumer from Frankfurt am Main lost 5,000 euros.

Don't let yourself be persuaded to make payments over the phone. After the phone call, think carefully again about whether you noticed any warning signs. Talk to friends and search for similar cases online. This way you can quickly find out whether a fraudster was on the line. The police can also help in an emergency.