Attention, bank customers! New phishing scams put your money at risk!

Attention, bank customers! New phishing scams put your money at risk!

The consumer advice center is sounding the alarm: Commerzbank and Targobank customers in particular need to be careful. In recent days there have been increasing reports of new phishing scams aimed at stealing personal data from unsuspecting bank customers. These scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and seem very legitimate at first glance. The emails often come with a request to check the data and contain threats, such as the possibility of account blocking if there is no response within 24 hours. A typical example is an email that informs Targobank customers about “unusual activities,” although the salutation is often impersonal and the sender address is often questionable. According to chip.de, unnecessary spaces are also an indication of phishing.

How do fraudsters operate? As a rule, they disguise themselves as trustworthy institutions in order to obtain sensitive information such as PINs, passwords or individual TANs. This can happen through different communication channels: emails, SMS, social networks or even phone calls. It is important to attackers to gain access to their victims' accounts as quickly as possible. It is estimated that around 62% of Germans experience phishing attempts that they discover in their mailboxes, as Commerzbank reports.

Increased risk of fraud in Germany

Germany is the focus of cybercriminals not only nationwide, but also internationally. In 2024, the country was the second most common target for phishing attacks, accounting for 14% of all global phishing emails. The BioCatch report on fraud trends in online banking shows these worrying figures. Over 267 billion euros were lost in Germany due to cybercrime in 2024, making the country one of the largest losses in Europe. Almost 70% of these losses occur via digital channels, which underlines the dangers of online banking, as the report on biocatch.com shows.

A rapidly developing form of fraud is so-called “quishing”, in which fake QR codes are used on parking meters or charging stations to lure unsuspecting users into a trap. This shows how creative scammers can get to achieve their goals.

Security tips for bank customers

To protect yourself from these dangers, the consumer advice center advises not to click on links in suspicious emails and to clarify banking matters directly via the official websites or apps. Regular checking of account transactions is also recommended. If in doubt, you should contact the bank immediately. Anyone who feels under pressure should interpret this as a warning signal and not allow themselves to be tempted to reveal personal information. Invalid emails should be sent to the spam folder without being seen.

Cybercrime does not stand still. With increasing digitalization, bank customers also have to be vigilant and find out about the latest scams in order not to fall into the trap of fraudsters.