German consumer watchdog warns of fraudulent online child‑benefit services

The Verbraucherzentrale Rheinland‑Pfalz cautions that private websites posing as official portals for applying for Kindergeld (child benefit) can trap parents in costly scams. Sites such as kindergeldbeantragen.de appear to be part of the Federal Employment Agency but are run by a Dutch company and may charge fees—for example, a €29.99 invoice was reported—and provide either overpriced or unusable documents. The watchdog advises parents to verify the URL and imprint, and to use the official service portal of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit, which requires a BundID and is free of charge. It also offers a template letter for consumers to contest wrongful charges. Additionally, the agency notes that from March 2027 (existing beneficiaries) and November 2027 (new parents) Kindergeld will be paid automatically without a separate application, further reducing the need for third‑party services.