former editorial director
November 9, 2023, 11:31 a.m. |
Reading time: 4 minutes
Fraudsters call on smartphones or landlines and lie in wait. A TECHBOOK editor received a call like this himself. He reveals how the rip-off works, how expensive it can be for you and, above all, how you can protect yourself.
The next time your phone rings and an unknown number is calling, be skeptical. Fraudsters repeatedly use a common trick that has spread from the USA to Europe and thus also Germany and is difficult to understand in advance. TECHBOOK reveals which scams fraudsters use on the phone and how you can prevent them.
The fraudsters’ scam is hard to see through
With questions like “Can you hear me?” or “Are you the homeowner?” the caller is trying to get the word “yes” out of you, like that Consumer advice center NRW reported and we in the editorial team also had to notice. The fraudsters later edit these and other parts of the conversation together so that the impression is created that the person called has placed an expensive order over the phone.
Our editor also received a call like this. The number came from Brussels. The phone call only lasted a few seconds. He doesn’t even remember what he said exactly. When I googled the number, it quickly became clear what it was about. Because other users reported the following:
In our case, our editor hasn’t heard anything since and hopes he hasn’t fallen foul of anyone. But not everyone is that lucky.
The nasty surprise often arrives in the mailbox a few days later: an expensive bill. Anyone who refuses to pay quickly comes under pressure from fraudsters – who insist on the false telephone recording with a clear “yes” to an alleged purchase contract and even threaten with a negative Schufa entry or the debt collection agency. A reader of the online portal “Heise” Even got a call back immediately after he didn’t want to answer “yes” and hung up. There he was threatened with a fine of 125 euros because he had interrupted the phone call.
Also interesting: spam phone numbers you shouldn’t answer!
How should I behave on the phone?
In any case, be skeptical of unknown callers and avoid answering “yes”, even to seemingly harmless questions. If the conversation seems strange to you, you can simply hang up. If you still fall victim to such a scam: don’t panic!
The consumer advice center generally recommends the following answers: Don’t answer “Yes” to “Can you hear me?”, but rather “I hear you”. Attorney Christian Solmecke also emphasizes: “Contracts can normally also be concluded over the telephone. However, the alleged seller must prove that the contract has been concluded. To do this, he must have made you a concrete offer over the phone. However, this is missing here. In this context, you should not be confused by a telephone recording played back.”
In general, according to Solmecke, such a recording can only be used if the person called has previously agreed to it. So don’t let yourself be put under pressure and under no circumstances pay the amount stated in the invoice. If in doubt, contact the consumer advice center, a lawyer or the police – because in this case a criminal complaint would also be possible for the fraudster on the phone.
Contract valid without signature?
Even if it sounds a bit strange, a contract concluded over the telephone is legally valid even without subsequent written confirmation. To terminate such a contract, however, the written form is again required. This is exactly what consumer advocates have been complaining about for years. They demand that contracts concluded over the telephone only become valid if they are subsequently signed. Consumers would therefore have time to think about it and could not simply be caught off guard during the call. Unfortunately, politicians have not yet been able to agree on such a generally applicable regulation.