Face fraud ring in Hanau: Tens of thousands of euros swindled!

Face fraud ring in Hanau: Tens of thousands of euros swindled!

In the past few days, a large SMS and telephone fraud ring in Hanau and the Wetteraukreis has caused a sensation. The police and public prosecutors have uncovered such a criminal case in one fell swoop, taking a 23-year-old man in custody. This campaign is part of a comprehensive investigation, in which also against six more suspected perpetrators is determined. They are accused of commercial gang fraud and money laundering.

The group is said to have been active nationwide and in at least 20 cases have cheated people by tens of thousands of euros. The end of the game for the victims often takes on dimensions in the five to six-digit range. Particularly perfidious methods are used: the fraudsters use SMS notifications that are allegedly come from banks. These messages ask the recipients to update their bank details via a link, which, however, leads to a deceptively real but incorrect website. This procedure is known as smishing, a form of fraud in which SMS is used to steal personal data or spread harmful apps.

how the fraudsters proceed

After the victims clicked on the link and entered their access data for online banking, the sensitive data end up directly in the hands of the perpetrators. Shortly thereafter, a call follows, in which the fraudsters output themselves as bank employees. They claim that data update was done too late and warn of debit from other fraudsters. To avert this, ask the victims to disclose their TAN (transaction number).

The consumer advice center points out that such SMS and calls from banks or the tax office are often fake. Recipients should be extremely careful and do not click on the links or select phone numbers from the messages. Therefore, the following applies: always keep thoughts about your own data and a critical attitude in the case of suspicious SMS. Even if the content appears legitimate at first glance, these are often only stitches to use personal information.

alarm signal for the population

This incident is another example of how important it is to find out more about such attempts to fraud and remain vigilant. Many people could not fall into a trap, since fraudsters often use modern technologies and deceptively real internet appearances. The request to update data after a deadline is a classic example of manipulative behavior, which is why the consumer center issues clear warnings.

In the midst of such worries, there are also bright spots: the police encourage those affected to report so that they can be done fairly against these illegal machinations. So stay informed and pay attention to suspicious messages.

For more information about the fraud stitches, you can do the detailed report by faz as well as the warnings of Consumer center NRW consult.