Every day they lure unsuspecting people into traps, commit telephone fraud and make huge sums of money. But they don't rip us off! We explain the 3 most common types of fake calls.
Ping calls
This is how the phone scam works:
The phone rings briefly, then is hung up again. The intention behind it: You are supposed to call the fake caller back. If you do this, you will end up abroad, not in Europe, but somewhere in Africa or the Middle East. This is really expensive - and part of the charges go into the scammers' pockets. Incidentally, the numbers are obtained from address brokers or - as is most frequently the case - through computer programs that automatically control cell phone prefixes and number blocks.
This protects you from the scam:
Take a good look at the phone number that called briefly. Does it have two zeros in front or the "+" sign? Then don't call back under any circumstances. You should also not respond to suppressed numbers, as you can easily become a victim here too!
Call ID spoofing
This is how the telephone scam works:
The phone rings and you think you know the number that is displayed (such as the police), but in reality the call is coming from a completely different line. An alleged "police officer" asks the mostly elderly people on the phone to give their credit card number, hand over jewelry to a messenger or transfer money abroad. The fraudsters are simply trying to shamelessly exploit the victims' trust in the police.
This is how they protect themselves from the scam:
Never give out sensitive information such as account numbers over the phone, and be sure to tell the elderly people around you. No police officer would ask someone on the phone to give their details or even transfer money. Anyone who is unsure after such a call should call the local police and ask or simply dial the emergency number 110 - just not via the call-back button.
Yes trap
This is how the telephone scam works:
Someone calls you, asks you questions or engages you in conversation. It seems harmless at first. But your answers are recorded. A yes from you is filtered out and played into another recording. And you have already agreed to a purchase contract or subscription.
This protects you from the scam:
Such a contract is not legally binding, but some people are taken by surprise. Be sure to cancel. And if you receive strange calls, simply hang up immediately.
Report the problem to the police, consumer advice center or Federal Network Agency
It can generally help if you involve relatives who hear the call and can therefore act as possible witnesses. In addition to the police, employees of the consumer advice center can also provide information and help. They are usually informed if there is a particularly high number of fake calls. You can also lodge a complaint with the Federal Network Agency about any problem and thus draw attention to fake calls.
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