Fraud-SMS - Tens of thousands of complaints about misuse of phone numbers
With deceitful SMS and chat messages, criminals have again attempted to swindle money from unsuspecting civilians in large numbers. According to the Bundesnetzagentur, there were 35,034 complaints related to this issue in the first half of 2024, which is roughly 20,000 fewer than in the previous year's period.
The number of complaints may have decreased, but the complaint level remains high, the authority stated. In one third of the complaints (11,152), it was about a scam, also known as the "Grandparent Trick": Someone poses as a relative or close friend via SMS or chat message, claiming they cannot phone and urgently need money. Some scam victims - often older people - fall for it and actually transfer money.
In other cases, criminals disguise themselves as a bank or parcel delivery service and ask for outstanding fees to be paid or to click on a link to enter their personal data. By doing so, criminals try to extract data they can later use to extort money or use in other scams.
Authority shuts down numbers
When it comes to number misuse, the Bundesnetzagentur can intervene and shut down the number. In the first half of 2024, there were reportedly 2,170 number disconnections. However, in many cases, these are foreign mobile phone numbers, and the German regulatory authority can do little about it.
The text messages are often poorly formulated and contain inconsistencies that can be noticed with a bit of common sense. However, some readers react hastily and provide data or transfer money without being suspicious - criminals exploit the consumer's carelessness or good nature when they send out mass scam messages. The dark figure of cases that do not lead to complaints at the Bundesnetzagentur could be high.
- The Federal Network Agency in Bonn, Germany, received 35,034 complaints related to telecommunication criminality through SMS and chat messages in the first half of 2024.
- Despite the decrease in the number of complaints, the authority warned that the level of complaint remains high, with 11,152 complaints related to the "Grandparent Trick" scam.
- Criminals often disguise themselves as banks or parcel delivery services, asking for cash payments or personal data to be entered through a link, exploiting the consumer's carelessness or good nature.
- The Authority can intervene and shut down numbers misused for scams, reporting 2,170 number disconnections in the first half of 2024, although many of these are foreign mobile phone numbers.
- The Bundesnetzagentur in Bonn admits that the dark figure of unreported cases could be high, as some consumers may not file complaints due to embarrassment or lack of awareness of the existence of regulatory bodies.
