rip-off scam
Open customs duties: That’s why the LKA warns of current emails and SMS
The supposed dispatch messages are currently reaching numerous recipients (symbol image)
© Zorica Nastasic / Getty Images
The increasing online trade also offers the opportunity for countless rip-off scams. The police are now warning of a new one.
Shoes, technology and everyday shopping: During the pandemic, the booming online trade received another boost. But the rip-off scams aimed at this are also increasing. The current one: Supposed messages from customs should ask gullible victims to pay.
This emerges from a current warning from the Lower Saxony State Criminal Police Office. “There are currently numerous text messages and e-mails in circulation that claim delivery problems,” it says. Above all, a new allegation worries the officials: “Supposedly, customs duties are still outstanding, which have to be paid before delivery.”
low hurdle
The scammers’ idea: Because the fee charged is only a few euros, the inhibition to log in to the bank and pay via the link shared in the SMS is reduced. However, the link does not lead to the bank, but to the trap. “The links contained lead to phishing sites on the Internet, where the perpetrators want to access address data, but also online banking or credit card data,” warns the LKA.
The news is part of a larger trend. With the steady growth of online trading, the number of scams is also growing. The scammers are likely to be targeting older and inexperienced victims who are even less experienced when shopping online and are therefore less careful. “The perpetrators pretend to be well-known delivery services such as DHL, Deutsche Post, Hermes, UPS, FedEX, DPD, GLS, etc.,” the authority said. At first glance, the emails actually look very real. There are also other services that are not very common in Germany.
An additional danger is that the links used in the messages and emails can appear legitimate at first glance. The addresses are based on those of large providers, the LKA mentions “dhl-de-world.com”, “meindeutschepost.com” or “dhl-paketshop.com”. If in doubt, you should therefore visit the original website of the shipping company and check the delivery with the shipping code provided by the retailer.
Source: LKA Lower Saxony