Arrests and interrogations conducted daily at police station situated in Salzland district
Police Reports in Bernburg: Scammers Strike and a Stolen Motorcycle
June kicked off with a unfortunate incident involving a scam victim, a retiree from Bernburg. Alarm bells rang when a pop-up screen flashed on his computer, claiming his PC was locked. Hoping to resolve the issue, he called the suggested number and followed the instructions given by the so-called "security advisor." After allowing remote access to his computer and logging in with his personal details, he was instructed to open important applications (like PayPal, online banking, and Amazon) and enter transaction numbers, likely TANs. After completing these steps, the conversation ended.
Realizing he might've been scammed, he visited his bank and found suspicious debits totaling nearly 5,000€. Fortunately, his bank was able to reverse the damage. The retiree took precautions by changing his software passwords and filing a fraud report with the ongoing investigation underway.
Cybercrime on The Rise📊 Interesting Insight: Ransomware scams via pop-up messages are relatively less common compared to email-based attacks, but they can still be deceptive. These scams often begin with phishing emails or malicious links leading to fake ransomware pop-ups[4][5].
Elsewhere in town, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle was stolen from a parking lot on Hecklinger Straße near the pedestrian bridge over Mühlgraben. The owner had left it there for repairs and secured it properly. Upon returning the next day, he found his bike was missing. The loss is estimated at around 20,000€. A report has been filed, and investigations are underway.
In a somewhat positive turn of events, a purple motor scooter was discovered near Bernburg on Thursday evening by a pedestrian walking his dog. The police, informed of the find, inspected the vehicle, and it was not reported stolen at the time. The scooter was temporarily held for safekeeping as the theft or dumping remains under investigation.
Protect Yourself from Scams:🔒 Tips to Stay Secure:
- Recognize Urgency Tactics: Be wary of urgent pop-ups that can create panic. Legitimate security alerts generally do not demand immediate payment[5].
- Authenticity Check: Verify the legitimacy of company logos used by the pop-up message. If the logo appears shady or trying to mimic well-known brands, it might be a scam[5].
- Avoid Interaction: Ignore suspicious pop-ups or messages, don't click on links, or download software from untrusted sources[4].
- Install Reliable Security Software: Use robust antivirus software to block malicious pop-ups and detect ransomware[4].
- Regular Backups: Store regular backups of your data on an external drive or cloud storage, allowing you to restore files without paying the ransom[4].
- Stay Informed: Keep up to date with common scam tactics and educate others about the risks associated with pop-up scams[5].
- Pop-up Blockers: Employ browser extensions or software that can filter out malicious pop-up messages[4].
- Other technology, such as pop-up messages, is being used by scammers to steal personal details and escalate crime-and-justice incidents, as demonstrated in the recent event involving a retiree in Bernburg.
- General-news outlets should cover the rising trend of ransomware scams through pop-up messages, emphasizing the importance of cybersecurity education and awareness to prevent such incidents.
