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Entering credit card data on the Internet: The LKA Lower Saxony warns of new attempts at fraud
Photo: Christin Klose / dpa
Beware of an e-mail that is supposedly sent on behalf of the federal government and calls for the verification of credit card data: this is fraud, warns the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) Lower Saxony.
The subject of the email is "Your credit or debit card verification is required to avoid a ban."
Accordingly, the recipient's payment card would no longer comply with the PSD2 directive of the European Union.
The credit or debit card must therefore be verified by August 31, otherwise the account would be blocked.
Anyone who follows the attached link "Confirm identity" ends up on a fake website with an input mask.
If you have already entered your credit card details here, you should inform your bank immediately and have the affected card blocked, advises the LKA.
This can be done at any time by calling 116 116.
Also, file a report with the local police or online watchdog if available.
You can find the relevant links on the website of the Federal Criminal Police Office.
The payment guideline PSD2 (»Payment Service Directive«) came into force in 2019.
Since the end of a transitional period, consumers have therefore had to prove their identity with two separate components in many transactions on the Internet.
In order to approve an online payment, for example, they not only need credit card details and a secret number, but also have to confirm their identity in a second way - for example with a PIN that is sent by SMS or via a mobile phone app.
Stolen credit card data is therefore only of limited value for the perpetrators.
But an attempted identity theft using the data is also conceivable.
Fraudsters have recently tried using various methods to steal data on behalf of authorities or even initiate transfers.
Not infrequently they were successful.
pbe/dpa
