Overview

• A new wave of phishing emails is targeting German bank customers, including those of DKB, C24 Bank, Volksbank, and Sparkasse, with deceptive messages to steal sensitive data.
• The phishing network utilizes AI-driven tools like 'Magic Cat' and 'Darcula,' enabling large-scale scams across 130 countries and affecting nearly 900,000 victims globally since late 2023.
• Emails often include urgent requests, such as confirming account details or updating apps, and are identifiable by impersonal salutations, suspicious sender addresses, and unprofessional formatting.
• Victims frequently lose hundreds to thousands of euros, with banks commonly denying reimbursement claims, citing alleged customer negligence.
• Despite monitoring the network since October 2024, the German Federal Criminal Police (BKA) has not launched specific investigations, citing challenges in international cooperation.