Fraud attempts over the phone are increasing.
Some numbers should not be answered.
Older people in particular are often chosen as targets.
Berlin – Neither personal contacts nor telephones, let alone the Internet, are free from scammers.
Whether grandchild trick, fake shops, clickable links or supposed competitions - the tricks of the scammers are manifold.
Here you will find an overview of phone numbers where you should better not answer your cell phone.
Phone Spam: Attempts to scam from cell phones are on the rise
Fraudsters have probably already tried to cheat many consumers in Germany.
The criminals keep coming up with new tricks.
In the past, scammers mainly went from door to door - this is still the case, for example, with the so-called grandchild trick.
The crook claims to be the grandson of the often elderly victim in order to get into the house.
The app operator Clever Dialer
writes that attempts at fraud by telephone are also increasing
.
+
Attempts to scam on the phone are on the increase - older people in particular are a popular target.
© Schöning/Imago (symbol image)
In a monthly press release, Clever Dialer lists the phone numbers that consumers use most often to contact them.
The reasons for the reports are varied and range from alleged insurance agents or electricity suppliers who want to sell a tariff to competitions and spam.
According to Clever Dialer, the number of calls from the mobile network increased by almost five percent.
However, the majority of fraudulent calls are still received via the fixed network (70.8 percent).
Be careful on the phone: These numbers are scammers
In February 2022, a number from Frankfurt was the most frequently used number for fraud attempts.
This can no longer be found in the ranking of the "Top 10" spam phone numbers from March.
However, a spam number also took the inglorious first place in March.
Close behind is even a cell phone number that wants to make consumers believe that it has won a lottery and specifically asks for the IBAN.
In third place is a number from Frankfurt, which is also categorized as spam.
+
In March 2023, scammers' phone numbers were used and reported particularly often.
© Clever Dialer
This is how those affected commented on the spam telephone numbers in March
In addition to "spam" and "raffles", Clever Dialer also subdivides the categories into "cost traps", "debt collection" and quite simply "dubious".
Users of the website have the opportunity to leave a comment when reporting.
Clever Dialer publishes some of these comments monthly:
03025555450 Landline from Berlin (spam):
"Constant calls from this number for days.
I don't answer and have now blocked them.
After reading all the reviews it was a good decision.”
01637875622 mobile (competition):
"I supposedly signed a lottery contract that I would not have canceled.
Wanted my IBAN, of course I didn't give it."
06929917782 landline from Frankfurt a.
M. (spam):
"Introduced himself as "Volta GmbH" and wanted to speak to my wife.
I ended the call immediately and blocked the number after googling it.”
030318763023 Landline from Berlin (spam):
"I've been getting calls from this number for days or anonymously.
When I answer, nobody talks and always hangs up after 3 seconds.
I remind people: Never answer the phone with “yes”!
This may allow them to complete something they don't want to."
040299992000 landline from Hamburg (dubious):
"Participant tried to offer me a new electricity tariff.
Spoke broken German and tried to make a contract.
However, to an address where we have not lived for 12 years.
So careful!”
021332463886 Landline from Dormagen (debt collection):
"This company or rather the collection agency keeps calling.
Almost three or more times a day.
I blocked them and I still see them calling all the time.
If you have problems with them, block them and write them a letter!"
0208306730 landline from Oberhausen / Rhineland (dubious):
"Cost trap that relates to health insurance, teeth, glasses."
030257709946 Landline from Berlin (competition):
"I got a call saying I had won 599.00 euros in a competition.
When I told the caller that I was currently abroad, he hung up straight away with the words: We'll call you after the holiday."
015215891133 mobile (competition):
"Call and say you took part in a competition but didn't win.
They would send you documentation and then you could email an objection and all data would be deleted.
But before that they want their bank details.
I said no and the lady got rude and hung up.”
+441767660535 landline from the United Kingdom (cost trap):
"Calling from the United Kingdom about alleged lottery contract.
I immediately hung up and blocked the number.”
Consumers who receive calls from one of these numbers can report them to Clever Dialer to warn other consumers.
Consumer advocates also advise blocking the caller immediately.
Spam callers can also be reported to the Federal Network Agency using a complaint form.
Consumers are repeatedly urged to inform older people about the scams.
Then the scammers have a much harder time fooling their victims, for example with the mom trick on WhatsApp.
List of rubrics: © Schöning/Imago (symbol image)