Have you received an SMS from your bank announcing the deactivation of your TAN procedure? This could be a scam.
Confirm transfers quickly and easily? This is what Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank promise with the “photoTAN” app, which customers can use instead of a TAN device. Many of the bank’s customers have therefore downloaded the mobile app and are using it diligently. However, if the app is threatened with deactivation, banking transactions can theoretically no longer be carried out as conveniently while on the move or from the sofa. For many customers this means effort and stress. And that’s exactly what criminals are currently after.
Phishing SMS from “Deutsche Bank” and “Comdirect”
An SMS is currently being sent informing you that “PhotoTan” has been deactivated. In order for transfers and other bank orders to be carried out and confirmed again, the recipient must click on a link mentioned in the message:
The specified sender of the message can be either “Deutsche-Bank” or “Comdirect”. And the integrated link can also be different.
However, recipients of the SMS should under no circumstances follow the request. This is a link that fraudsters can use to steal their victims’ access and credit card details.
Behind the link is a form in which the recipient should enter sensitive information such as name, contact details and bank details. The criminals can then use this data to withdraw the money from the specified account or make purchases in the name of the account holder or credit card holder.
How to recognize fraudulent SMS
On the one hand, there are spelling errors – “Deutsche-Bank” (with a hyphen), PhotoTan instead of photoTAN, missing comma after “activate”. On the other hand, the incorrect grammar. In addition, the information and details in the SMS are very inaccurate and incomplete. However, the spelling of some SMS messages can also be correct, as a report on “giga.de” shows.
Another indication is that you do not use the photo TAN app or are not a customer of the bank from which the SMS is supposedly correct.
The clearest and most important indication, however, is that banks do not contact their customers via SMS. Instead, you will receive letters or a message in the mailbox of your bank account.
Receive SMS – this is what you need to do now
If you have received a text message like this or a similar one, do not click on the link under any circumstances. Delete the message immediately.
If you are unsure whether the message may have come from your bank, it is best to contact them by phone. This is via the numbers that are noted in the letters from your bank or directly on your bank’s website. The best way to get there is to go to your bank’s homepage on your computer or go to your bank’s mobile app. The financial institution’s customer service team can then tell you whether the message is correct or not.
