Sparkasse warns: A new wave of email and SMS scams - how to respond correctly
Sparkasse customers are facing a new wave of phishing emails and text messages asking them for updates or fake maintenance for the pushTAN app, prompting the bank to issue urgent warnings.
According to journalist Luka Volkstein, scammers are sending messages with alarming subject lines such as: "Update Required – Ref: 8731399" or "pushTAN Maintenance", and these messages appear to be legitimate, but they contain a fraudulent link that should not be clicked on as it aims to steal banking data.
What makes this wave more dangerous is that criminals are now using techniques to display the real Sparkasse numbers when contacting victims. After obtaining their data, they call them directly and pressure them to enter TAN codes or give approvals, allowing them to make financial transfers to their own accounts.
This is the second time in a short period that Sparkasse has been subjected to a major phishing attack. Consumer protection organizations have recently warned about similar messages, some of which include the Dutch phrase "Bedankt voor uw vertrouwen," meaning "Thank you for your trust," clearly indicating foreign fraud networks.
Sparkasse advises its customers to immediately delete any suspicious messages and not to click on any links within them. If the user has already opened the link, they should change their passwords immediately from another device, contact the bank, block the account if necessary, report to the police in case of suspected identity theft, and check the device for viruses. Sparkasse also confirms that real messages always appear in the inbox of the official app or through online banking service.