Consumer agencies warn of rising phishing and payment scams

Authorities and consumer protection agencies in Germany and Liechtenstein are warning of multiple sophisticated phishing and fraud schemes targeting citizens.

In Germany, the Verbraucherzentrale and ELSTER have issued warnings regarding emails impersonating the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt). These messages falsely claim a tax refund of 263 euros is available to trick recipients into clicking malicious links. Additionally, scammers are using fake debt collection letters and phishing emails that impersonate PayPal, threatening account restrictions to steal login credentials.

In Liechtenstein, police have warned of “Quishing” attacks, where criminals overlay fraudulent QR codes on parking meters. These fake codes lead users to deceptive payment sites designed to steal credit card information. Similarly, EasyPark has warned of fraudulent SMS messages claiming unpaid parking fees to pressure drivers into making payments via malicious links.