Consumer protection - Minister urges caution with dubious monetary claims
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Consumer Protection Minister Jacqueline Bernhardt has called for particular caution in the face of telephone and internet fraudsters. "Fraud attempts are becoming increasingly perfidious and varied. Especially now during the Advent season, text messages, WhatsApp messages and emails are popping up to defraud consumers of money," said Bernhardt on Tuesday, explaining her appeal. There are many indications of such fraudulent messages. According to Wiebke Cornelius, head of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern consumer advice center, the number of inquiries received by the advice centers has more than doubled this year.
A widespread method is that the supposed child has a new telephone number and is in an emergency situation, which is why money should be transferred, explained Bernhardt. But messages that the parcel could not be delivered because the address was missing also made the rounds. "You have to be particularly careful here, because a lot of parcels are sent in the run-up to Christmas. It's easy to lose track of things and then the trap snaps shut."
Even if you are asked to enter your account details via a link, you need to be extremely careful. "As a rule, a reputable bank will not ask you to disclose account details and similar information via email and links," emphasized Bernhardt and advised people to check with their bank, mail order company or children. Anyone who has nevertheless been defrauded should not hesitate to call the police. In general, a healthy distrust of messages from senders whose numbers are unknown is advisable, emphasized Cornelius.
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- Despite the warnings, some consumers have fallen victim to these fraud attempt, losing significant amounts of money.
- The Heavy use of digital platforms like Internet, SMS, and WhatsApp by fraudsters has necessitated extra Caution from Consumers.
- The Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Consumer Center, headed by Wiebke Cornelius, has received an alarming increase in fraud-related queries this year.
- Criminality in the guise of money claims has become a major concern for Consumer protection authorities, with Jacqueline Bernhardt advocating vigilance among consumers.
- The Consumer Protection Minister, Jacqueline Bernhardt, urged Consumers to exercise extreme caution when sharing account details in response to links received via emails.
- Consumers across mecklenburg-vorpommern are encouraged to report any suspected Fraud attempt to the local Police or consumer protection agencies like Jacqueline Bernhardt and Wiebke Cornelius.
Source: www.stern.de
