Fraud attempts over the phone are on the rise. For some numbers, you should not answer the phone. Older people in particular are often chosen as targets.
Berlin – Neither personal contacts, nor telephones, let alone the Internet, are free of fraudsters. Whether it's a grandchild trick, fake shops, clickable links or supposed competitions – the tricks of the fraudsters are manifold. Here you will find an overview of telephone numbers where it is better not to answer your mobile phone.
Phone spam: Attempts at fraud from mobile phones continue to increase
Fraudsters have probably already tried to rip off many consumers in Germany. In the process, the criminals keep coming up with new scams. In the past, fraudsters 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. Fraud attempts by telephone are also on the rise, writes the app operator Clever Dialer.
Attempts at fraud on the phone continue to increase – older people in particular are a popular target. © Schöning/Imago (symbolic image)
In a monthly press release, Clever Dialer lists the phone numbers that consumers use to contact them most often. The reasons for the reports are manifold and range from supposed insurance agents or electricity providers who want to sell a tariff, to sweepstakes 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 still come from landlines (70.8 percent).
Be careful on the phone: these numbers are scammers
In February 2022, a number from Frankfurt was the most frequently used for fraud attempts. This can no longer be found in the ranking of the "Top 10" spam phone numbers from March. However, the inglorious first place was also achieved by a spam number in March. It is closely followed by a mobile phone number that wants to make consumers believe that it is a supposed success in the competition 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 comment on spam phone numbers in March
In addition to "spam" and "sweepstakes", Clever Dialer also divides the categories into "cost traps", "debt collection" and simply "dubious". Users of the website have the opportunity to leave a comment when reporting. Clever Dialer publishes some of these comments on a monthly basis:
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My Area
- 03025555450 landline from Berlin (spam): "Constant calls from this number for days. I don't answer it and have blocked it by now. After reading all the reviews, it was a good decision."
- 01637875622 Mobil (competition): "Supposedly I signed a lottery contract that I would not have terminated. 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 talk to my wife. I immediately ended the call and blocked the number after googling."
- 030318763023 landline from Berlin (spam): "I have been called from this number for days or anonymously. When I answer it, no one talks and always hangs up after 3 seconds. I remind people: Never answer the phone with "yes"! As a result, they may be able 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 conclude a contract. However, to an address where we have not lived for 12 years. So be careful!"
- 021332463886 Landline from Dormagen (debt collection): "This company, or rather the debt collection agency, is constantly calling. Every day almost three or more times. I've blocked them and yet I see that they're 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 refers to health insurance, teeth, glasses."
- 030257709946 Landline from Berlin (competition): "I got a call saying that I had won 599.00 euros in a competition. When I told the caller that I was currently abroad, he hung up the phone with the words: "We'll get back to you after the holiday."
- 015215891133 Mobile (competition): "Call and say you took part in a competition but didn't win. They would send you documents and then you could file an objection by e-mail, so that all data would be deleted. But before that, they want to have the bank details. I said no, and the lady got sloppy and hung up."
- +441767660535 Landline from the United Kingdom (cost trap): "Call from the United Kingdom because of an alleged lottery contract. I hung up the phone right away and blocked the phone number."
Consumers who are called from one of these numbers can report them to Clever Dialer to warn other consumers. In addition, consumer advocates advise blocking the caller immediately. Spam callers can also be reported to the Federal Network Agency through a complaint form. Again and again, consumers are urged to inform older people about the scams. Then it is much more difficult for the fraudsters to get their victims to fall for them with the mommy trick on WhatsApp, for example.