Danger! Fraudsters on the phone - How to protect yourself effectively!

Danger! Fraudsters on the phone - How to protect yourself effectively!

Fraudulent calls reach thousands of Germans every day and cause significant damage. Loud Ruhr24 The Federal Network Agency registers tens of thousands of complaints about unauthorized advertising calls every year. The criminals' scams are diverse. The perpetrators often pose as employees of authorities such as the Federal Criminal Police Office, Europol or Interpol and claim that personal data has been stolen. In this way they try to scare the victims and get them to transfer money.

The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) warns urgently: “The police will never ask for the transfer of money.” In many cases, fraudsters use technical methods to display real telephone numbers of police departments, which further increases the trust of those called. In such situations, consumers should hang up and contact the local police station themselves.

The types of scams

In addition to the police officers who pretend to help, there are also fraudsters who take advantage of the good reputation of consumer advice centers. For example, they offer competition subscriptions for 79 euros or claim to be able to remove consumers from advertising lists. There was even a case in Frankfurt am Main in which crooks stole 5,000 euros from a consumer.

Another phenomenon are callers who supposedly promise fee refunds from banks and savings banks. They use real judgments of the Federal Court of Justice as a pretext and work with manipulative printing techniques. People who have lost money on cryptocurrencies in the past are particularly at risk, as this new scam specifically targets them.

Legal situation and reporting options

The Federal Network Agency consistently pursues unauthorized telephone advertising. Since 2009, telephone advertising has been prohibited without the express consent of the person being called. Companies must display their real phone number; fake or suppressed numbers are illegal. From the explanations of the Federal Network Agency shows that the authority can decide to impose fines of up to 300,000 euros and can block telephone numbers in the event of repeated complaints.

Consumers should immediately report unauthorized calls to the Federal Network Agency, providing information about the date, time and phone number of the caller. When receiving suspicious calls, it is advisable not to reveal personal information and not to allow yourself to be put under pressure. In addition, suspicious account movements should be closely monitored, and in the event of fraud, a criminal complaint should be filed with the police immediately.

The following applies to consumers: When calling from unknown numbers, you should always ask for the company name and phone number. The consumer advice centers never make unsolicited contact by telephone. Responsible handling of personal information is essential when making such calls.