ruth901
“I'm ashamed, but I want to warn you”Amira Aly was a victim of credit card fraud!
Amira Aly has fallen victim to phishing SMS.
picture alliance / Panama Pictures
“I never thought I would fall for something like that.”
In the middle of the night a message from the credit card provider – and suddenly there is a large debit: Presenter Amira Aly reports on Instagram how she almost lost 9,500 euros to fraudsters. In her own words, she is ashamed that she fell for the scam – but she still goes public about it to warn others about the perfidious fraud strategy.
Amira Aly warns about credit card fraud on Instagram: She fell for the scam so easily
In her reel, Amira describes how it all started with a text message that apparently came from her credit card provider, American Express. The message said someone had tried to transfer 9,500 euros to a crypto company – with the note: “If it wasn't you, call here now.”
The perfidious thing: The SMS appears in the normal chat process with her real bank number, along with all previous payments that she has actually approved. “The chat history was there with all the payments and I still called this number.”says Amira. On the other end: an alleged employee who completely lulls you with technical terms, warnings about hackers and lots of details about the alleged crypto company.
Reading tip: Fake or fact – how safe are private fundraising appeals?
Amira says that this is exactly where she should have become suspicious. Nevertheless, she trusted – and realized too late that she had fallen prey to fraudsters. “This makes me extremely uncomfortable”she admits openly. Precisely because many see her as media-savvy and “hardened”, the admission was not easy. But that is exactly what she is now consciously making public.
“I don’t know if my money is gone”
“I believed everything he said”admits Amira. At the time of the post, she doesn't know whether the fraudsters were actually able to withdraw money – the only thing that is clear is that their trust was shamelessly exploited.
The case shows a new level of credit card fraud: Instead of the classic fake email, perpetrators rely on so-called smishing attacks – i.e. fraudulent SMS messages that look as if they came from the real bank. Using technical tricks (keyword: manipulation of sender identification), the messages appear in the existing chat history, which also reassures many customers.
Reading tip: Credit card fraud: With this scam, fraudsters can get your money – without reaching into your pocket
There is also “social engineering” on the phone: fraudsters pretend to be bank employees, create stress (“your account is hacked”, “your money is in danger”) and urge you to act quickly – for example by wanting to have transfers approved on a “test basis” or requesting access data.
Recommendations from our partners
How to protect yourself from credit card fraud
Experts advise acting consistently according to a simple principle when faced with similar news: never react spontaneously, always monitor yourself.
The most important protection tips:
-
Do not call a number from the SMS: Always dial the official hotline on the back of the card or on the bank website yourself – never the number in a message.
-
Do not give out any data on the phone: Reputable banks never ask for complete credit card details, TANs, PINs or passwords. Those who do this are almost always fraudsters.
-
Keep an eye on your account and app: Regularly check credit card transactions, activate push notifications and set limits – this way, unclear debits are noticed more quickly.
-
Strong security for online accounts: Unique, strong passwords, two-factor authentication and no storage of card data on any number of sites.
-
If in doubt, block immediately: If fraud is suspected, block the card immediately (emergency call 116 116 or bank hotline), inform the bank and document the incident.
Anyone who has already fallen for a scam should not be afraid to get help quickly – from the bank, the police and, if necessary, consumer advice centers. The sooner you react, the greater the chance of limiting or recovering damage.
“If this happens to me, it could happen to anyone”
That's exactly the message that Amira Aly conveys with her video: For her, it's not just about her own moment of shock, but about the fact that other people may receive the same text message at the same moment – and make the same mistake when stressed.
Video tip: Fraudsters steal money with photos of Melina, who has cancer
Their openness is therefore also an alternative to the usual shame when it comes to fraud. Instead of remaining silent, she makes the incident visible, explains where she herself was not skeptical enough – and helps many people to question this one important step more before they call the wrong number the next time they supposedly have a “bank alarm”. (ros)
Sources used: Instagram, Consumer advice center, Mastercard, Adac
