Attention: This is how you avoid unintentional money laundering by fraudsters!

Attention: This is how you avoid unintentional money laundering by fraudsters!

In the digital world, fraud and identity theft are widespread, which is a serious problem for many people. A current analysis shows that the risk of unknowingly becoming a criminal is increasing. Experts warn that easy profits are often behind fraudulent schemes supported by psychological tricks. Fraudsters rely on offers that appear to be legal and tempting in order to quickly make money. The 5min describes important tips to protect yourself against such fraud.

The most common types of fraud include purchase fraud, where consumers pay for products that never arrive, and advance payment and investment fraud, where unrealistic promises of profit entice them. Customers should be especially careful if they feel pressure to pay quickly or are offered unrealistic prices. Another warning sign is requests to transfer money on behalf of strangers.

Rise of cybercrime

Cyber ​​experts predict a significant increase in online crime, especially since the Corona pandemic. Fraudsters have increasingly created synthetic identities to conceal their true identities. Loud Augsburger Allgemeine Perpetrators use these to open customer accounts and credit card applications and set up so-called “mule accounts” to launder money. These identities are usually created through a combination of fictitious and real data, some of which is traded on the dark web.

Statistics show that 92% of German e-commerce companies have experienced identity fraud. Fraudsters often order using stolen data and have goods delivered to parcel stations or empty apartments. The damage caused by cybercrime is estimated to be in the billions and continues to increase. The situation is particularly dramatic for online retailers, who have to put more and more effort into verifying the identity of their customers.

Identity Theft: A Growing Problem

Identity theft is becoming increasingly important in the digital world and poses major challenges for many people. A specialist lawyer for IT law, as shown on right-friendly.de described, regularly reports from clients who have become victims of this type of fraud. Identity theft is defined as the unauthorized use of personal information to gain financial or other benefits. Victims are often forced to block accounts and change their passwords.

SCHUFA has responded to the increasing dangers and is offering a tool called SCHUFA-IdentChecker from April 17, 2024, with which users can check whether their sensitive data appears in data leaks or on the dark web. It is crucial that those affected act quickly if data misuse is discovered and inform the responsible authorities and credit institutions.

The recommendations for avoiding identity theft are varied. This includes using strong, unique passwords, training about the risks and being careful when handling personal data. Users should also regularly monitor their accounts and activity to quickly identify suspicious activity.

Overall, it shows that the digital world harbors a number of risks, but informed users can significantly increase their security through simple measures.