Digital parcel fraud: this is how easy we make it for criminals
Just imagine: Your cell phone vibrates - a text message from "DHL". Supposedly a small amount still needs to be paid or a parcel confirmed. One click, quickly enter your credit card details - and your account is empty. What sounds like an isolated case has long since become a mass phenomenon: over 20,000 people in Germany have already fallen victim to this scam. Worldwide, there are almost a million victims.
Behind the scam is not a small garage gang, but a highly professional international network. At the center: a perfidious software called "Magic Cat", programmed by a 24-year-old Chinese man. The scam? Deceptively genuine DHL websites that look just like the real thing - and which criminals use to obtain your credit card details in no time at all.
Apple Pay as a weapon: how to make your euros disappear into digital nirvana
Particularly dangerous: If you also enter a security code - as the fake page requires - you allow the fraudsters to insert the stolen credit card directly into digital payment systems such as Apple Pay. From then on, they can store at will - at your expense.
Some victims report damage in the four-figure range. And the real shock comes afterwards: The bank often does not pay. Reason: "Gross negligence". After all, you entered the data yourself - on a fake site. The blame is simply shifted back onto the victims.
Why the police and authorities have only been watching
Although the scale is huge, the state seems to be largely sitting on its hands. According to research by Bayerischer Rundfunk, the Federal Criminal Police Office has only been monitoring the network since October 2024 - without any concrete investigations. The aim is to "assess the phenomenon". Sounds complicated - and like an excuse.
While the international community is already taking intensive action against the network, Germany is apparently still "judging". The case shows that digital crime is not a gimmick, but bitter everyday life for thousands of people.
How to recognize fraud - before it's too late
- Unusual sender and spelling mistakes:
Does the message come from a cryptic number or a strange e-mail address? Is it full of grammatical errors? Then: Hands off! - Time pressure or threats:
"Final reminder", "Pay immediately or account blocked" - fraudsters rely on panic. People under pressure think less. - Strange links or attachments:
Reputable companies such as DHL or your bank do not send links that ask you to enter personal data. Never.
Why the failure here is doubly bitter
Twice as bad: the victims are punished twice. First they are robbed of their money - then they are denied help. Banks duck away, and the authorities? They take notes. While a 24-year-old guy fools entire countries with software.
We need an end to "observations". This scam is not new - it is well-known, dangerous and has long been part of everyday life. Anyone who still pretends that phishing is a marginal problem is living behind the times.
