Sparkasse Flags WhatsApp Investment Scam as Barclays and Postbank Customers Face Fresh Phishing Lures

Overview

• Sparkasse warns that criminals are running fake bank profiles on Instagram and Facebook to funnel users into large WhatsApp groups that share staged market “analyses” for weeks before steering deposits to sham trading platforms that block withdrawals.
• The bank also reports ongoing SMS, email and phone scams in its name that pressure recipients to “verify” details or approve transactions, and it urges anyone who responded to contact the bank immediately and block online‑banking access.
• Germany’s consumer association flags a current Barclays phishing email posing as an “important notice” about a new document, using urgency and a bogus “View document” button, and advises checking only via the official app or website and sending the message to spam.
• Postbank customers are being targeted with emails that threaten account suspension within 24 hours and link to a counterfeit site; Postbank calls these messages fake and the BSI warns that any submitted credentials cannot be recovered, urging rapid account blocks, password changes and police reports.
• Experts highlight common red flags such as impersonal greetings, spelling errors, pressure to act and unfamiliar sender domains, and recommend reporting fake profiles and messages to platforms and banks while avoiding links in unsolicited communications.