Germany's Federal Tax Office Scam Letters Target Taxpayers

Criminals are circulating fraudulent letters and emails that appear to come from the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern (Federal Tax Office). The mailings, which use the agency’s logo and address, ask recipients to verify their IBAN or approve a SEPA direct debit via a link to a fake website (elster-amt.com). The Lohnsteuerhilfe Bayern (Lohi) warns that the real tax office never contacts taxpayers directly for such data and that any genuine communication comes from the local Finanzamt or the official Elster portal/app.

The scams pressure victims with a five‑day deadline to provide personal details, including birthdate, address and bank account information. Providing these details can lead to identity theft and unauthorized withdrawals. Lohi advises taxpayers to treat any unsolicited request for IBAN verification or personal data over a link as suspicious, and to rely only on official channels for tax matters.