Couple in Samtens loses 160,000 euros to fraudsters – that’s how it happened!

Couple in Samtens loses 160,000 euros to fraudsters – that’s how it happened!

In Samtens, a tranquil community in the Vorpommern-Rügen district, a couple lost almost 160,000 euros due to a brazen telephone scam. The Neubrandenburg police provide information about the alarming details of this incident and urgently warn other citizens against similar activities. In particular, the method of spoofing, in which fraudsters pretend to be a trustworthy bank, seems to be used more and more frequently. Current developments show that such scams are experiencing a worrying increase.

The 69-year-old woman received a call from a supposed bank informing about alleged irregularities in her account. Unfortunately, the known phone number didn't make her suspicious enough and she willingly gave out her access details and TANs. The fraudsters used QR codes to generate TANs, which they transmitted via a messenger service. The following day, the woman discovered unauthorized debits and immediately blocked all of her accounts, but the damage had already been done. The case once again illustrates how important phishing protection and critical thinking are.

Risk of call ID spoofing

More and more people are being tricked into disclosing sensitive data through call ID spoofing. According to a report by akh-h.de In recent years, fraudsters have launched targeted attacks to obtain account information. A notable case concerns a customer who was rejected by Sparkasse Barnim as grossly negligent after she fell victim to a phishing attack. However, the Eberswalde district court ruled that the bank is obliged to repay 4,785 euros because there were security deficiencies in customer service, including the lack of two-factor authentication.

Other banks are also caught in the crossfire due to similar incidents. A ruling by the Cologne Regional Court states that Sparkasse Köln-Bonn must repay more than 9,900 euros after a customer was defrauded via the S-pushTAN app. Such rulings strengthen consumer rights and should serve as a warning signal for all banks to reconsider their security standards.

Police recommendations

The police urge you to be skeptical about calls from supposed banks. Customers should never reveal TANs or access data over the phone and – if there is any uncertainty – contact the bank directly. A healthy distrust could save a lot of money and protect you from big losses. The developments clearly show that banks and savings banks are liable for damages if it cannot be proven that customers acted with gross negligence. n-tv.de therefore also reports on the precautionary measures that every customer should take.

In conclusion, it remains to be said: digitalization not only brings advantages, but also risks. It is up to us to remain vigilant and protect ourselves from fraudulent practices. Once you deal with the topic, you can avoid many stumbling blocks and have a good handle on online banking.