Commons Scams In Germany

There are a lot of scam cases in Germany. So, you should always stay cautious when traveling in Germany or planning to move to Germany.

Table of Contents

Common elements fraudsters use

Scammers have a lot in common. They use similar techniques to execute scams. Here are some common elements that fraudsters use.

• You must take action urgently. For example,
  • the offer ends in 2 hours,
  • your account will be blocked if you don’t verify your information immediately, etc.
• You have to give your personal information or upload your documents. 
• The scheme or a thing is too good to be true. For example,
  • Cheap rent
  • High saving bank interest, etc.
• Scammers avoid video calls.
• Scammers ask for money upfront, promising to give something of more value later 
• Fraudsters insist on not telling anyone about the conversation. For example,
  • it’s a surprise, so don’t tell others
  • it’s a police investigation; if you tell anyone, it may alert the criminals.
• Scammers usually tell that their friend or colleague will come to pick up the money or valuables.

General precautions you can take to protect yourself from scams in Germany

• For scams over phone calls, where the scammers claim to be your relative, a police officer, public authority, etc., you should call the relative, police, etc, on the number you know to confirm.
• Never give money or valuables to someone you don’t know.
• Avoid giving cash or using untrackable mediums to send money, such as crypto, Western Union, etc.
• Never let unknown people into the house. 

Common frauds in Germany

• Love scam: Get involved in an affair with the victim and ask for money.
• Pretending to be a valid financial institute: Offering savings accounts, fixed deposits, or other schemes with better returns.
• Online shopping scams via popular e-commerce sites: People pretending to be sellers on Amazon, eBay, etc., offer special discounts on products to collect personal information. Later, they use that information to make purchases.
• Rental property: Offering very cheap rentals. Asking people to send their personal documents before visiting the property. Some scammers ask for money before visiting the property or signing the contract. 
• Buying a property scam: You hire a real estate broker or agent to help you buy a property. The agent asks you to transfer half of their fee before signing the property purchase contract. Once you transfer the fee, the agent is gone. 
• Messaging pretending to be your child: Scammers send an SMS on your phone claiming to be your child who needs financial support urgently.
• Grandchild trick: Scammers pretend to be relatives or acquaintances and ask for financial support.
• Fake police officers: Scammers pretend to be police officers and offer to take money or valuables to a supposedly safe place.
• Promise of Winnings: Request to pay a fee to receive an alleged prize.
• Door-to-door sales: Sellers urge people to buy a product while still at the front door.
• Donation fraud: Donation to a charitable cause that does not exist. 

Let’s see how each scam works in detail, what you can do to protect yourself, and what steps you can take if you are a victim of these scams.

1. Love scam 

With the increase in the popularity of online dating, the love scam has also become a problem. Scammers create fake profiles and date the victims.

The victim trusts the scammer and gets emotionally attached to them. This is when the fraudster starts asking for money from the victim. 

The reason for asking for the money is usually an emergency, and something has happened to them or their close relative. For example,

• Their mother is very ill and needs money for hospitalization urgently.
• The scammer stated that they had an accident and needed money for the treatment.

Fraudsters use human psychology to target the victims. Many people don’t suspect anything when the scammer asks for money the first time.

However, the scammer starts asking for money more frequently, and by the time the victim suspects something is fishy, it’s too late.

Love scams are the worst, as not only do you lose money, but you also feel betrayed.

How can you protect yourself from such scams?

• You should be on guard if someone you never met asks you for money.
• You should question why the individual is asking you for money instead of their friends or relatives.
• Why should you give them money if their relatives won’t?
• Avoid dating someone who lives far from you, and meeting them is impossible.
• Be on guard if someone asks you to transfer money via non-trackable means like Western Union, crypto, etc.

If you are unsure that the person is a scammer and don’t want to risk losing someone you love, tell them you don’t use crypto or Western Union. You can transfer the money via bank transfer or Wise.

What can you do if you are a victim of a scam?

As per the German federal police, many victims are too ashamed to report such a crime. However, the police said that they understand such things can happen to anyone and have happened to many in the past. 

Police encourage people to come forward and report such crimes. This helps them gather more information, make others aware of such scams, and catch the culprit.

Here is what you should do if you are a victim of a love scam.

• Gather proofs like chat history and where and how you met the scammer.
• Inform the online dating platform about the scam.
• File a police report immediately after becoming aware of such a thing.

Why should you report the scam to the police?

Scammers usually target multiple individuals at once. By reporting a scam to the police, you can save others from suffering the same pain.

2. Grandchild trick used to scam older people in Germany

• The fraudster calls the victim on the phone and pretends to be the grandchild or a close relative.
• The scammer tells the victims that something has happened and they need money urgently.
• Scammers agree with the victim a password that their friend will tell them when collecting the money from them.
• Fraudsters also insist on not informing anyone as it’s a surprise or they don’t want others to worry.

Real-life example

“Yes, hello, it’s me, your granddaughter. I had an accident, I’m injured, but I’m fine. It wasn’t my fault. But the other woman, she has to be operated. We want to settle this without much fanfare. And that costs money…! “

“Hello, it’s your grandson. I can get a cheap apartment at short notice. For this, I need money quickly to make a down payment. But don’t tell others. I want to give them a surprise!” 

Read about a real-life case of an 80-year-old victim.

How can you protect yourself from such scams?

• Be on your guard if someone asks you for money over the phone.
• It’s best to hang up the phone when your conversation partner (alleged relative) asks for money. You should then call the relative on the number you know to confirm.
• Never give money to people you don’t know.
• Inform your relatives and grandparents about such scams so that they are aware.

3. Pretending to be a Police officer to scam people in Germany

• The fraudsters often call older people. They manipulate them during hours of phone calls.
• Scammers make up convincing stories to gain trust. For example,
  • The scammers will inform the victim that they identified a burglary will happen in the victim’s home 
  • The scammer tells the victim that police had found black money in their accounts.
• The fraudster then asks the victim to hand over their valuables and cash to one of their colleagues for safety purposes.
• Scammers even say you should not talk to anyone about this as it’ll jeopardize the operation.

The scammers use “Call-ID spoofing” to display “110” on the victim’s phone, which helps them gain credibility with the victim.

NOTE: When you receive a call from the police in Germany, your phone will never display 110.

How can you protect yourself from such scams?

• If you receive such a call, ask for the officer’s name. Then, hang up the call, call your local police department at 110, and describe the facts.
• Never share your financial or personal information on the phone.
• Never hand over money or valuables to unknown persons, even if they claim to be police officers, employees of public prosecutors’ offices, or financial institutions.

4. Scamming by pretending to be a valid financial institute

• Scammers pretend to be part of a known financial institution and offer the victims money-saving schemes.
• The schemes they offer are usually very attractive, such as above-market interest rates or high returns.
• Scammers even create documents and contracts using the financial institution’s letterhead. 
• Once you sign the contract, they ask you to transfer the money.
• Once they receive the money, you won’t hear from them again.

How can you protect yourself from such scams?

• Always Google the financial institution’s name and check the offers on their website.
• Avoid offers where the salesperson claims that the offer is for selected customers only and that you cannot find it on the financial institution’s website.
• Either get the offer directly from the financial institution’s online portal or by going into their physical branch.
• Ensure that the salesperson’s email address matches its institute and is not generic, like Gmail, GMX, etc.
• Avoid offers that are too good to be true.

5. Fake e-commerce websites or fake sellers on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay

The scammer either creates a fake e-commerce website or becomes a seller at popular marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, etc.

In both cases, they offer high discounts on popular products that you won’t find anywhere else. This is how each variant operates.

Fake shops

• You order the product and pay for it. However, you never get the product.
• When you contact customer service at a fake shop, they blame the delivery service or tell you it will take longer than expected. The objective is to delay filing a complaint with the police or customer advice center.

How can you identify a fake shop?

Identifying a fake shop is tough. The fraudsters do a good job creating a well-designed website. However, here are a few things you should check before purchasing.

• Check if the website has an “Impressum.” In Germany, every website must have a page called “Impressum.” On this page, you’ll find the following information.
  • The address of the company
  • An authorized representative
  • E-mail address 
  • Tax ID
  • Reference to the commercial register with the corresponding number
• E-commerce websites use the “Trusted Shops” certificate. You can view the certificate by clicking on the “Trusted Shops” image. If you don’t, then it’s likely that the website is fake. 
• Google the “e-commerce website’s name” plus “scam” on Google. If you find results where people mention this website as a scam, don’t make the purchase.
• Consumer advice centers and Trusted Shops offer a tool called “Fake Shop Finder” that you can use to check whether an e-commerce website is trustworthy. If you are buying from an e-commerce website for the first time, check its trustworthiness using these tools.

Fake sellers on Amazon

• Scammers register themselves as a seller on famous marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.
• They sell products at high discounts, but you never get them or get a cheap copy of the original product.
• Scammers even give you a fake tracking link. The shipping time is usually longer (one week or more), giving scammers more time to scam other people.
• Another variation is that scammers send you an email saying the payment didn’t go through. They share a payment link, which is not via Amazon. 

How do you identify fake sellers?

• Check the seller reviews. Usually, the reviews are also fake. So, you must read them and see if they match the product the seller is selling. Also, check older reviews (more than 1 year old).
• Google the seller’s address. Ensure that the company or industry shown on Google matches the seller’s products. The address is usually valid; however, the company’s work mentioned on Google differs entirely from what is sold on Amazon.
• Prefer buying items that are “fulfilled by Amazon.”

NOTE: Scammers are very active on Amazon and other marketplaces during Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Prime days. Thus, you must be careful when purchasing during these discount seasons.

What can you do if you are a victim of a scam?

• Inform the marketplace, police, and consumer advice center (Verbraucherzentrale) about the scam.
• Collect all the receipts, emails, and screenshots. Police will need it while filing the complaint.
• Some marketplaces like Amazon cover the damages in certain situations.

6. Real estate scams in Germany

Real estate scams are most common in Germany. It’s because finding a rental property in major German cities is tough, especially for expats.

You can read our guide to learn the tips and tricks of finding a rental property in Germany.

Here are the common rental scams in Germany

• The landlord lives in another country and cannot meet you face-to-face.
• The scammer sends you the property keys by post and then asks you to transfer the security deposit. Landlords in Germany hand over the keys in person to either you or to the person you gave the power of attorney.
• The scammer shows you the property that is not theirs. Scammers rent an AirBnB and show it to you. Once you transfer the security, you can’t reach them.
• Asking for money to visit an apartment. Never pay anyone to visit an apartment.
• Fake rental property advertisements to collect personal data. Always redact/censor information like ID number, date of birth, etc, before sharing your documents.
• The rental property is too good to be true. The rent is below market, and the quality of the property is top-notch. 
• The current tenant asks for money to forward your profile to the landlord. Sometimes, you must buy furniture to rent the property.

We have written a separate guide on rental property scams in Germany. You can read it to learn more.

7. Scamming real estate buyers in Germany

• You hire a broker or agent to help you buy a property.
• The agent shows you some properties and claims that the seller agreed to sell you the property.
• Scammer then asks you to transfer half of their fee before signing the property purchase contract. The fee is usually between 5,000€ and 10,000€. 
• Once you transfer the fee, the agent is gone, and their claim that the seller wants to sell to you is usually false.

How can you protect yourself from such scams in Germany?

Property purchases in Germany go through the notary. The notary informs you when to transfer the money and to whom.

Even if you buy a property via a broker or an agent, you pay them once you sign the purchase contract and the notary informs you to pay them.

So, no advance payments.

Lastly, as a buyer, you can choose a notary. So, always find a notary yourself.

8. Messaging pretending to be your child

• Scammers send an SMS or WhatsApp message on your phone claiming to be your child.
• Scammers pretending to your child make up a story that they changed their number. They ask you to save their new number and delete the old one.
• Scammers then send casual texts for a few days and then ask for money as there is an emergency. In some cases, they ask for the money immediately.

People who don’t have kids identify such scams immediately. However, those with children who live separately usually don’t.

Real-life example

You can check the screenshot of the individual who is a victim of this scam on NRW Viersen police’s Facebook page.

• The scammer sent a WhatsApp message from an unknown number. The scammer, pretending to be your child, said that their phone was lost or damaged, so they needed a new number.
• They then ask you to transfer money as their bank apps were installed on the old phone. As you may guess, the transfer is quite urgent.

Here is a real-life text that a scammer sent to one of the victims.

Hallo mama, rate mal wessen’s Handy in der Waschmaschine gelandet ist. Du kannst diese Nummer einspeichern und die alte löschen

NOTE: The text you may receive might be different from the above.

How do you protect yourself from such scams in Germany?

• Never send money after receiving a message. Always call on the number to confirm that it’s your child. If no one answers the call, dial the old number you have.
• Be suspicious if the bank account number you must transfer the money to is outside Germany.

If you identify this scam or are a victim of it, report it to the police. Once you have filed a complaint, block the number.

References:

• https://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/sachsen-anhalt/betrug-geld-iban-finanzanlage-106.html
• https://rhein-kreis-neuss.polizei.nrw/artikel/der-betrug-mit-der-vermeintlichen-liebe-love-oder-romance-scamming
• https://www.ndr.de/ratgeber/verbraucher/Online-Shopping-Polizei-warnt-vor-neuer-Betrugsmasche,dreiecksbetrug100.html
• https://www.debeka.de/ueberuns/verbrauchermeldungen/2023/die-fuenf-haeufigsten-betrugsmaschen-und-wie-man-sich-davor-schuetzen-kann.html
• https://polizei.nrw/artikel/der-enkeltrick
• https://t3n.de/news/betrug-amazon-serioese-marketplace-haendler-zu-fakeshops-1577710/
• https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/wissen/digitale-welt/onlinehandel/abzocke-online-wie-erkenne-ich-fakeshops-im-internet-13166
• https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/wissen/digitale-welt/mobilfunk-und-festnetz/hallo-mama-hallo-papa-betrugsversuche-ueber-whatsapp-und-sms-72910