Fraudsters deceive 71-year-olds: 43,000 euros away-so it happened!

Fraudsters deceive 71-year-olds: 43,000 euros away-so it happened!

Oberstaufen, Deutschland - In Oberstaufen, a 71-year-old suffered a bitter loss after being the victim of a perfidious telephone fraud. As the Allgäuer Zeitung reported, a supposed employee of Commerzbank reported to him and informed that his PIN for online banking had run out. To get a new PIN, he should install a specific program on his computer. Unfortunately the elderly man fell on this trick.

After installing the program, the fraudster had access to his PC and was able to debits an impressive 43,000 euros from his account. This sum was initially transferred to an account in Berlin and then quickly transferred to Malta. It remains a terrifying example of how easy it is for criminals to get access to the accounts of their victims.

The continuation of the mesh

Just one day after the first call, the injured party received another call from another fraudster who tried to cheat him again with the same stitch. Fortunately, the 71-year-old was more careful this time and immediately hired.

The example from Oberstaufen is part of a worrying trend. According to the "Cyber Security Monitor 2024", published by the BSI and the police, 44 % of the victims of cybercrime felt affected by online fraud forms, whereby online banking and online shopping represent frequent forms of crime. The police reports of an alarming increase in carelessness within the population, especially among the younger ones.

young people in the sight of the fraudsters

It is particularly noticeable that 68 % of the 16 to 22 year olds assess their risk of becoming a victim of cybercrime as low or excluded. This age group even recorded an increase in the unspecified by 16 percentage points compared to the previous year. However, while 34 % of young respondents find the effort for security measures too high, they are by no means immune to fraud. According to the report, 28 % of them were cheated on online banking-a number that is above average.

The cyber security monitor also describes that the most common protective measures that take respondents are antivirus programs and safe passwords, with these preventive measures declining compared to the previous year. DR. Stefanie Hinz , the State Police President, warns urgently of carefree behavior on the Internet and appeals to the citizens to better protect themselves.

Overall, 24 % of people in Germany have already had experience with cybercrime. Despite these alarming numbers, 56 % of those surveyed appreciate their future risk of becoming victims than low. This shows a great feeling of security that can make blind.

The example of the Oberstaufen victim is an impressive indication of how important it is to be aware of the dangers on the Internet, and underlines the need to focus more on cyber security.