Warning about fake email
Be careful, phishing: Magenta loyalty points scam
December 25, 2024 – 5:09 p.mReading time: 2 min.
Fraudsters are currently luring Telekom customers into a trap with phishing emails and websites. They pretend it’s about the expiration of Magenta loyalty points.
Fraudsters are currently trying to trap Telekom customers with deceptively realistic phishing emails and websites. According to “heise.de”, these emails are so visually convincing that they hardly contain any errors. They appear authentic because they appear to be sent from a t-online.de email address. However, a closer look shows that this is an end customer address and not a company address. The news portal t-online has no longer belonged to Telekom for years, but to the outdoor advertiser Ströer.
The subject lines of the fraudulent emails have titles like: “🎁 Your points: almost lost 🎅 Ref:7878268”. The senders suggest that recipients have collected Magenta loyalty points, which will soon expire. In order to secure the supposed points, they should be redeemed for “a gift”.
The fraudsters are creating pressure with a deadline of December 31st. The email states:
“After this date, your points balance will automatically be reset to zero, even if the points have not been redeemed. To benefit from your accumulated points, we invite you to exchange them in a timely manner for a gift from our rewards list.”
On the linked phishing page, the perpetrators advertise high-quality products such as an iPhone 16 Pro or a current Thermomix, which are supposedly available for small additional payments. Popular devices such as a soundbar or a food processor from Silvercrest are also offered for the displayed score, although according to “heise.de” the required number of points may not be enough.
The aim of the fraudsters is to steal personal data such as address and payment information. Particularly treacherous: The form specifically requests credit card details, so that victims have to expect a real debit in a subsequent transaction.
Security experts recommend ignoring such emails and deleting them immediately. Personal information should under no circumstances be disclosed. The practice is clearly fraudulent and recipients should remain particularly vigilant.