Overview

• Anti-spam services report that frequently flagged numbers this fall largely carry the 040 (Hamburg) and 0211 (Düsseldorf) prefixes.
• Criminals rotate minimally altered end digits to regenerate near-identical caller IDs, making single-number blocking ineffective.
• Clever Dialer attributes the rise to evolving schemes such as fake sweepstakes and impersonation of consumer-protection or debt-collection groups, sometimes using Dutch +31 numbers.
• Energy-provider ruses seek meter readings or contract details, with some callers even requesting photos to bolster credibility.
• Experts advise withholding personal data, using call-identification and blocking tools, reporting suspicious calls to carriers, and warning families as children have been targeted.