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Police dismantle smishing fraud ring: Over 60 officers on duty!
In the Wetterau district, the police are dismantling a fraud ring that obtained bank details via "smishing". Investigations are ongoing.
Police dismantle smishing fraud ring: Over 60 officers on duty!
A criminal fraud ring active in the area of so-called “smishing” was recently dismantled by the Wetterau police. This is a trend in which fraudsters send disguised messages via SMS to deceive unsuspecting bank customers. The perpetrators asked their victims to update their bank details using a link provided, which caused many of those affected to fall into the trap. Wetterau.news reports that the link led to fake websites that looked confusingly similar to the real bank websites.
The scam resulted in victims unknowingly revealing their personal information and login details, which allowed the fraudsters to access their online banking accounts. It was reported that the perpetrators also actively made phone calls to the victims, pretended to be bank employees and explained that there had been unauthorized access. In order to stop debits, they needed the TAN, which was then also passed on to the fraudsters. This allowed them to successfully withdraw money and victims suffered five to six-figure losses.
Searches and arrests
On July 15, 2025, the police launched a large-scale operation in which over 60 officers were involved in searches in Friedberg, Niddatal and Hanau. A total of ten apartments were searched and seven people were temporarily arrested there. FFH reports that a 23-year-old from Wetterau was taken into custody, while the other six arrested were provisionally released.
During the searches, investigators found extensive evidence, including narcotics, brass knuckles and a throwing knife. The suspects are attributed to at least 20 fraudulent crimes throughout Germany. The police are warning you not to make your bank account available to strangers for money transfers, as this could have significant legal consequences. In particular, financial agents who process funds for the fraudsters through their accounts face prosecution for money laundering.
Alarming fraud statistics
The trend towards digital fraud, particularly in online banking, is not new. According to a report by BioCatch, Germany is one of the countries with the highest rates of cybercrime. BioCatch highlights that Germany recorded the highest losses from cybercrime in 2024 at 267 billion euros and ranks second in the world for phishing attacks. In addition, the number of real-time payment fraud cases in Europe increased by 110%.
The Wetterau police are raising citizens' awareness of the dangers of digital crime and advising them to be careful with unexpected messages and inquiries. At a time when most financial transactions take place digitally, it is more important than ever to remain vigilant and aware of such fraud methods.