2024-08-24 12:07:08
Fraud Ticker
Fraudulent emails from tax authorities in circulation
Updated on 23.08.2024 – 17:02Reading time: 3 min.
Fraudsters are inventive when it comes to cheating people out of their money. We’ll show you which scams are currently in circulation.
Criminals are constantly trying to get sensitive account and credit card data as well as personal information from consumers. They primarily use digital channels to do this. Find out what tricks they use here.
An email from the tax administration in your inbox – that’s something you quickly take notice of. But be careful: Anyone who currently receives such an email should be particularly vigilant. Recently, there has been an increase in fraudulent messages that appear to come from Elster, the tax office or the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt).
These emails often contain a request to open an attached file that is presented as a tax assessment or invoice, according to the information on the electronic tax return (Elster) website. The aim: to obtain personal data such as login information and bank or credit card details.
Recipients of such emails should therefore not open attachments if they are not sure about the origin of the message, says Elster. Caution is also advised with embedded links in such emails – they should only be clicked if the authenticity of the message is beyond doubt.
In addition, tax authorities never ask for sensitive data such as tax numbers, bank details or PINs by email. If you are unsure, contacting the responsible tax office can provide clarity.
Who doesn’t like receiving money unexpectedly? If you receive an SMS from “SofortInfo”, however, you shouldn’t get too excited. As the fact-checking portal “Mimikama” reports, cyber criminals are currently trying to lure alleged victims into a trap with a promise of money. The SMS states that a sum of money has been deposited into the victim’s account.
To receive the money, you have to click on a link and enter your personal data. This is where the trap snaps shut, because it is a scam designed to steal private information. If you receive this SMS, you should delete it immediately and under no circumstances follow the link.
The German Travel Security Fund warns of fraudsters who try to obtain travelers’ bank details via phishing SMS. According to the DRSF, several consumers received suspicious text messages promising a refund. However, the link contained therein leads to a fake website.
The recipients should enter their bank details there in order to receive the money they are hoping for. However, the DRSF emphasizes that these messages do not come from them and warns against clicking on the link or disclosing personal data; instead, the SMS should be deleted immediately. Anyone who is unsure can contact the DRSF hotline.
The timing of this attempted fraud does not appear to have been chosen at random. Only recently, following the bankruptcy of travel operator FTI, the DRSF launched the largest refund process since the reform of customer money protection. The fraudsters are apparently trying to exploit the situation to obtain sensitive data from travelers.
A study by the security company KnowBe4 shows that hackers often use emails that claim to come from the HR or IT department in their phishing attacks. Subject lines such as “Possible typo” or “Important changes to the dress code” are particularly popular. Supposed requests to update forms or attend training courses also entice many people to click.
The experts warn that such emails are particularly dangerous because HR departments often have a lot of decision-making power and immediately attract the attention of employees. The same applies to messages that supposedly come from IT. Here, too, users easily fall for messages about blocked accounts or failed backups.