The danger posed by Internet criminals is greater than ever before.
According to security experts from Kaspersky, the number of "phishing attacks" in 2022 has doubled compared to the previous year.
Only the Kaspersky systems intercepted about 508 million phishing attempts worldwide last year.
At the moment, the perpetrators are increasingly trying new tricks to get hold of passwords or account data.
We answer the most important questions.
DHL trap warning: what is phishing?
Phishing is the sending of fake emails designed to trick people into falling for a scam.
The criminals send e-mails or WhatsApp messages to countless potential victims.
It contains either attachments with malware or links to manipulated websites on which those affected are supposed to enter data such as bank details.
The perpetrators "fish" for this information, which they then use to crack accounts or shop on the Internet at the expense of their victims.
How do I recognize phishing?
Phishing attempts are almost always revealed by the lack of salutation with names, clumsy German, unprofessional graphics, dubious payment requests and a sender address that does not match the supposed company.
If, for example, it is not paket@dhl.de or noreply@dhl.de (the company name after the @ is important), but any other address, it is guaranteed to be spam (unwanted messages received).
Recipients have to be very careful.
An example: The sender hostmaster@ 1and1.de looks almost real.
But the provider is called 1und1 - and not 1and1.
Another indication of a deception: In the spelling of the sender, a 1 often replaces the letter l, or a zero replaces the O.
How common is this practice now?
According to Kaspersky, by 2022 almost every second email contained spam or phishing.
Germany is known as the "Spam World Champion".
About every tenth such mail sent worldwide ends up in German mailboxes.
Great economic power, poorly protected computers, careless users and often poor English language skills make Germany a particularly interesting target for attacks.
What is the DHL or UPS trap about?
Because more and more people are getting their goods delivered by couriers, 27.4 percent of all phishing emails are currently fake messages from such parcel services.
No trick is currently more popular with the perpetrators.
It says, for example: "Your package cannot be delivered today due to the additional unpaid customs clearance fees." Recipients are then supposed to click on a link to pay the outstanding fees - and end up on a phishing page.
After parcel services, online shops, payment systems and banks are currently the most popular “fake” senders who have been manipulated by fraudsters.
What other tricks are there currently?
The scammers always rely on the greed and curiosity of potential victims.
Phishing almost always revolves around current topics.
These weeks there are offers for cheaper energy tariffs, donations for Ukraine, surveys with promises of prizes, "premium" access to social networks or allegedly particularly exciting links on TikTok.
How do I get less spam and phishing?
The only way to avoid or prevent receiving vast amounts of such emails and messages is to save on data.
Anyone who does not use their own email or telephone number for orders, in forums or in social networks remains relatively unmolested.
But very few can do that.
When the spam folder is full, it pays to scan across the senders and subjects, fish out the few messages that aren't spam, and delete the rest unread.
However, if you tighten the filter rules in your mail program or on your provider's website, you run the risk of unwanted mail ending up in spam more often.
Which basic rules do I have to remember?
If you are not absolutely sure that an email or message comes from a credible sender that you know, do not click on any links or open attachments and simply press the delete button uncompromisingly.
If in doubt, it helps to use another communication channel to ask the alleged sender.
And: Security programs such as Kaspersky Standard for 20 euros a year or the free Avira Free Antivirus also protect against phishing.
A customer had completely different problems with a DHL courier.
He retaliated with a nasty anger note.