Consumer rights advocates issue a warning about a new scam in ING Bank. In the recent incident, potential clients were informed via email that the Bank-to-Go app was outdated.
Related topic: Spam list in Germany: Never answer calls from these phone numbers
Clients are advised to perform an update through the provided link to prevent potential account restrictions. One click, and the client becomes a victim of fraudsters.
Fraud in ING Bank is linked to phishing email campaigns
According to consumer rights advocates, in this specific case, the phishing attempt is easily recognizable.
- The indirect greeting;
- Structure;
- Sender's address;
- The absence of the sender's name after the farewell
— quickly indicate that the email is not legitimate.
An inadvertent click can come at a high cost. Therefore, caution is recommended online.
The Consumer Advisory Center NRW strongly advises never clicking on links in suspicious emails and even refraining from opening attached files.
Moreover, clients should not respond to such emails. Fraudsters also disguise themselves over the phone as fake bank employees to obtain money from their victims.
A Sparkasse client recently lost thousands of euros to such a scam.
For those who clicked on the link or provided information, ING recommends contacting the bank as soon as possible on their website. This will help enhance the security of their data in a critical situation.
What to do if you have clicked on the link:
- Change your entered passwords;
- Check your computer for malware;
- Review the latest transactions on your account;
- Immediately report any suspicious bookings;
- If money has already been withdrawn from your account, report it to the police;
- ING customers can use the bank's emergency hotline if they have fallen victim to fraud, Monday to Saturday, from 8:00 to 19:00, at 069/34 22 24.
On its website, ING Bank provides information about what is known as the security promise: If third parties unlawfully use a client's access data to internet banking or the Banking to go application, the bank compensates for any financial losses.
Effectively protecting oneself from such fraudulent attempts or detecting them at an early stage can be very simple. There are several straightforward methods to determine whether an email is genuine or fake. For example, clients can hover the cursor over a link in the email.
In the case of a fake email, the link does not lead to the ING Bank website. Anyone who wants to stay secure can call their bank directly or contact them through the website and send an email.
Any email that seems suspicious should be promptly deleted or moved to the "Spam" folder.
Related topics:
- The Consumer Advisory Center NRW also recommends never clicking on links or opening attached files in suspicious emails related to the spam list in Germany.
- In the event of clicking on a fraudulent link in the ING Bank phishing email, it's essential to change passwords, check for malware, review transactions, and report any suspicious activities to the bank immediately.
