2024-08-19 14:45:03
Fraud Ticker
Alleged winnings – you should delete this SMS immediately
Updated on 19.08.2024 – 16:17Reading time: 2 min.
Fraudsters are inventive when it comes to cheating people out of their money. We’ll show you which scams are currently in circulation.
The most important things at a glance
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.
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.
KnowBe4 CEO Stu Sjouwerman stresses that cybercriminal tactics are constantly evolving and therefore pose a major threat to companies worldwide. According to the report, criminals are also increasingly using QR codes in their phishing attempts, as this makes the attacks even more difficult to see through.
- The fraud ticker has been re-established: You can find the old ticker with further scams here.
According to the IT security report 2023 from the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), the threat in cyberspace is “higher than ever before”. The consequences of a cyber attack are often fatal, especially for companies. But private individuals can also lose a lot of money and get into a lot of trouble after a successful attack.