Overview

• Sparkasse and Verbraucherzentrale Nordrhein-Westfalen have flagged a sharp increase in phishing emails impersonating trusted brands to steal sensitive banking and payment data.
• Scammers exploit pretexts like app updates, account verifications, and payment issues, using fake websites to harvest online banking credentials and credit card information.
• Deutsche Bahn customers are being targeted with emails claiming account issues, pressuring them to update payment details within 48 hours, risking data theft.
• Authorities, including the BSI, advise verifying sender addresses, avoiding embedded links, and using official channels to confirm the legitimacy of emails.
• Victims who have shared sensitive data are urged to immediately block online banking access, cancel compromised cards, and report incidents to limit financial losses.