An email from the Federal Central Office for Taxes (BZST) provides uncertainty for taxpayers. Therefore, you can and should ignore the message.
Fraudsters take advantage of the fear of taxes. (Source: Andreypopov/Depositphotos.com)
- In the name of the Federal Central Center for Taxes (BZST), fraudsters require that their documents give them.
- The professionally sounding language and references to laws should unsettle you.
- Details reveal that this is a fraud attempt.
For many, the topic of taxes immediately causes discomfort. Especially when it comes to additional payments, lack of documents and other claims from official bodies, especially if it comes to the tax return. Due to civil service German and incomprehensible paragraphs, it is often inclined to respond to requests without questioning them.
If you have an email with the subject “Federal Central Tax Office for Taxes – Access to Message Online”, you should definitely do so. It is a professionally formulated phishing email that allegedly comes from the Federal Central Tax Office (BZST).
In it you are asked to open a portal via a link and upload certain documents there. The reason is a “review of intra -community transactions”. The dangerous message is aimed primarily at companies – but can also unsettle private individuals.
This is what the fake email looks like
At first glance, the email looks relatively official. A law (§ 18f UStG) is cited, a file number mentioned and details such as invoices or delivery notes are required. All of this should make you open the link in the mail.
Don’t be unsettled by this phishing email. (Source: Consumer Center)
In fact, the message does not come from the BZSt. If you call up the linked portal, you get to a dangerous side on which sensitive data is queried to your person. If you state it, financial damage and theft of identity can occur.
Recognize the fraud
The Federal Central Tax Office itself points out that such emails will never send it unencrypted and without prior registration via the official Elster or BOP portal. The consumer center also shows some characteristics that expose the fraud as a phishing:
- Impersonal salutation (“Dear Sir or Madam”))
- Suspicious sender address
- Request to click a link and upload documents
- Setting deadline and legal argument
The BZSt provides other features on its own website that will help you to quickly recognize counterfeits.
If you receive such a mail, do not click on the attached link and do not load any documents. Show the message directly to the spam folder or delete it. If you are unsure, only use the official contact points of the Federal Central Tax Office to inquire.
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