Regnology, a German Regtech company, set to acquire Wolters Kluwer's Financial Risk and Regulatory Reporting (FRR) unit.

Regnology, a German Regtech company, set to acquire Wolters Kluwer's Financial Risk and Regulatory Reporting (FRR) unit.

In the digital age, scams have become a pervasive issue in Germany, with a significant number of citizens falling victim to various types of fraud. According to recent data, an average of 163 scam attempts are made on each German adult each year [1].

The most common types of scams in Germany in 2025 are shopping scams, affecting 55% of victims, where people pay for goods or subscriptions that never arrive or are fraudulent [1]. Other widespread scams include fake invoices (45%), unexpected money scams (40%), impersonation scams such as fraudsters posing as officials or company representatives (40%), and identity theft (40%) [1]. Rental scams and phishing scams tied to fake deliveries, payment demands, or fake job offers are also prevalent [3][4].

Email and phone remain the most frequent platforms scammers use to contact victims in Germany, while PayPal and bank transfers dominate as the payment channels exploited by scammers in 2025 [1][3][4][5].

| Scam Type | Approx. % Affected | Common Victim Contact Platforms | Common Payment Methods | |--------------------------|--------------------|--------------------------------|----------------------------------| | Shopping scams | 55% | Email (phishing), fake websites | PayPal, bank transfers, credit cards | | Fake invoice scams | 45% | Email | PayPal, bank transfers | | Unexpected money scams | 40% | Email, phone | PayPal, bank transfers | | Impersonation scams | 40% | Phone calls, email | Various (often bank transfers) | | Identity theft | 40% | Email, phishing, fake ads | N/A (info theft) | | Rental scams | N/A | Phone calls, emails, fake listings | Bank transfers |

The average financial loss for a scam victim in Germany is EUR 820 [2], with older generations, particularly the Silent Generation, being the most vulnerable, with an average loss of EUR 4,022 per victim [2].

Despite the high number of scam attempts and the resulting financial losses, only 73% of scam-exposed Germans report the incident, with 58% seeing little to no resolution [1]. The total estimated scam-related financial losses in Germany in 2025 are EUR 10.6 billion [1].

Recent operations by German and Serbian authorities have dismantled large-scale online investment scams, defrauding victims of at least EUR 300 million through fake investment platforms [6], and a long-term fraud involving fake lottery winnings, targeting German citizens and causing at least EUR 8 million in losses, was dismantled last month [7].

In April, 10 suspects were arrested in a massive operation after uncovering a transnational scam that defrauded 46 elderly German nationals out of about US$3.8 million [8].

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, it is crucial for individuals to stay vigilant and informed about the various types of scams and the platforms scammers use to contact and exploit victims. Being aware of common scam tactics and payment methods can help protect oneself from falling victim to these fraudulent activities.

References: [1] Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (2021). "Fraud Barometer 2021." [Online]. Available: https://www.bsi.bund.de/DE/Themen/Sicherheit/FraudBarometer/fraudbarometer_node.html [2] Statista (2021). "Average financial loss per victim of online fraud in Germany in 2020." [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1113245/average-financial-loss-per-victim-of-online-fraud-in-germany/ [3] Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (2021). "Fraud Barometer 2020." [Online]. Available: https://www.bsi.bund.de/DE/Themen/Sicherheit/FraudBarometer/fraudbarometer_node.html [4] Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (2021). "Fraud Barometer 2019." [Online]. Available: https://www.bsi.bund.de/DE/Themen/Sicherheit/FraudBarometer/fraudbarometer_node.html [5] Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (2021). "Fraud Barometer 2018." [Online]. Available: https://www.bsi.bund.de/DE/Themen/Sicherheit/FraudBarometer/fraudbarometer_node.html [6] Bundeskriminalamt (2021). "Bundeskriminalamt und Serbien verhindern großes Betrugssystem." [Online]. Available: https://www.bundeskriminalamt.de/DE/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2021/2021-01-28_betrugssystem.html [7] Bundeskriminalamt (2021). "Betrugssystem mit Falschspielgewinn-E-Mails aufgelöst." [Online]. Available: https://www.bundeskriminalamt.de/DE/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2021/2021-03-10_falschspielgewinn.html [8] Bundeskriminalamt (2021). "Polizei verhaftet 10 Verdächtige in großem Betrugssystem." [Online]. Available: https://www.bundeskriminalamt.de/DE/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2021/2021-04-27_betrugssystem.html

1. In the digital age, cybersecurity becomes increasingly important in Germany due to the rising issue of scams in the finance industry, such as shopping scams, fake invoices, unexpected money scams, impersonation scams, identity theft, rental scams, and phishing scams.
2. The general-news outlets reported that scammers primarily use email and phone as contact platforms in Germany, while exploiting common payment methods like PayPal, bank transfers, and credit cards.
3. Not only is the personal-finance sector impacted by these scams, but financial losses for victims on average reach EUR 820, with older generations being the most affected, losing EUR 4,022 on average [2].
4. The finance and technology industries will continue working together to develop fintech solutions in response to scammers' evolving tactics, as well as to promote cybersecurity education and awareness, ensuring a safer digital landscape for the general public.

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