A treacherous scam affecting ING: Consumer Advice Center warns customers

Urgent warning to ING customers: scammers send phishing emails

Scammers usually use phishing emails to lure their victims to fake websites. Often the vehicle of choice is phishing emails, as was the case recently with Sparkasse. Scammers often pretend to be a bank running their scams and urge potential victims to take action, classic scams being, for example, confirming a person’s identity. Sometimes, however, unusual scams also exist, for example Commerzbank’s customers have recently received notifications that they need to get their money back.

However, ING customers are currently affected by the scam. Criminals report “unusual activities” in their accounts to bank customers. “To protect your account and ensure the safety of your funds, we ask that you log into your account immediately to review your recent transactions,” the email read. Below is a link that should lead to the supposed login.

Particularly insidious: the scammers even wrote that they would “take all necessary measures to ensure your account remains protected”. However, this is not the case – quite the opposite. Recently, scammers have even gone so far as to send phishing emails for alleged government subsidy programmes.

Recognize phishing emails: What ING advises its customers to do to protect themselves from scammers

Phishing emails can be potentially dangerous, but they can usually be identified by some characteristics. On their website, recommend a job You need to keep the following things in mind to protect yourself from scammers:

• Research topic: Phishing emails are often reported. If so, you can quickly find relevant information by searching the Internet.
• Use the “mouse hover effect”: If you hover your mouse over the listed link, you can see if the link actually leads to the bank’s website.
• Ask: Check with the bank directly through official channels such as the website or over the phone. The staff knows for sure if the bank sent an email or not.

Phishing emails to ING customers: A wrong click can be costly – don’t open any links

ING also states that a bank generally never sends a login link in an email. According to Consumer Center, an impersonal greeting can also be a sign of a phishing email. In addition, scammers often try to pressure their victims with an alleged fee or time limit.

If you receive a suspicious email, under no circumstances should you open a link or reply. Instead, the corresponding email must be moved to the spam folder or deleted. Not only by e-mail, but also by phone Scammers contact potential victims by phone, often appearing deceptively real. Favorite