Overview

• A surge of phishing emails impersonating PayPal, Amazon, Netflix and Sparkasse is warning users of account restrictions or failed payments to lure them into counterfeit login pages
• Scammers embed professional logos, personal salutations and spoofed sender addresses in emails that redirect victims to fake websites designed to steal credentials and payment data
• Fraudulent WhatsApp group schemes recruit users with promises of easy earnings for simple tasks before demanding fees and harvesting personal information, with losses reported up to €200,000
• Authorities report that these attacks exploit psychological tactics like urgency and social proof, using cloned domains and bots to simulate genuine customer feedback
• Experts advise ignoring unsolicited links, verifying alerts directly through official apps or websites, using unique passwords and enabling two-factor authentication