As of: February 2, 2024, 5:18 a.m
By: Vivian Werg
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If criminals gain access to their victims' sensitive data, this can have serious consequences.
What is behind the scam and how you can protect yourself.
Berlin – Criminals always find a way to rip off their unsuspecting victims with brazen scams.
Often those affected not only lose their entire savings, but are also usually faced with a horrendous mountain of debt.
From fake shops on the Internet, phishing attempts to spam emails, rip-off scams over the phone to grand tricks via Whatsapp - fraudsters use any means to get their victims' sensitive data.
The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and consumer advocates therefore regularly urge people to be particularly careful.
“As sad as it is, unfortunately you always have to be fundamentally suspicious,” advises Criminal Director Harald Schmidt, managing director and criminal director of the state and federal police crime prevention department.
Social engineering scam – What consequences identity theft can have for those affected (symbolic image) © William Perugini/Imago
Fraudsters gain the trust of their victims
As the consumer magazine
Markt
reports on WDR television, many criminals specifically use the “social engineering” approach to specifically manipulate their victims.
In the case mentioned, the perpetrator was able to gain the victim's trust via a dating app, access personal data and even get the victim to carry out a video identification procedure under a pretext.
This enabled the perpetrators not only to open an account in their name at an online bank, but also to take out a loan at another bank.
In the end, the identity theft not only cost those affected an investigation on suspicion of money laundering, but also a repayment of a loan of 30,000 euros.
Similar to door-to-door fraud, cyber criminals rely on the Internet to fake a personal relationship with the victim.
According to the Federal Office for Information Security, human characteristics such as helpfulness, trust, fear or respect for authority are exploited.
In this way, victims are tricked into disclosing personal information.
According to the BSI, the perpetrator exploits the “human factor” as the “supposedly weakest link in the security chain to realize his criminal intent.”
Experts criticize video identification procedures
The video identification process is controversial.
The consumer advice center warns against misuse.
Consumers are often persuaded to take part in a video identification process by employees of fraudulent trading platforms, for example.
Critic André Zilch from the
Chaos Computer Club
has also been attesting that the process has security deficiencies for years.
Unlike in the face-to-face situation, the video identification process is only carried out after the account has been opened.
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Aren't banks that use the video identification process also responsible for such crimes?
“Those obliged under the Money Laundering Act or their video identification providers must also take security measures to avoid cases of so-called social engineering,” said the banking supervisory authority BaFin when asked by
WDR.
Social Engineering: This is how you can protect yourself against fraud
The BSI advises citizens to follow the following rules to reduce the risk of social engineering scams:
Use personal data sparingly
: Use social networks responsibly.
Be careful about what personal information you disclose there, as it can be collected by criminals and used to attempt to deceive you.
Passwords, access data or account information are taboo
: banks and reputable companies never ask their customers to enter confidential information by email or telephone.
Confidential information about employers and your work:
Do not disclose confidential information on personal and professional social networks.
Be careful with emails from unknown senders:
If there is even the slightest doubt that it could be an attempted attack, do not react at all.
According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Homeland, “the peculiarity of cybercrime is that the perpetrators operate from almost anywhere in the world and can conceal their tracks well.”
In order to increase the credibility of their scams, they not only specifically manipulate phone numbers, but also use artificial intelligence (AI) to deceive the victims
.
(vw)