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Vodafone warns German users about rising scam calls ahead of Christmas
Vodafone has issued large-scale alerts to protect mobile users in Germany from a surge in scam calls as the Christmas season approaches.
The operator said on Saturday that between late April and mid-November, around 41 million calls triggered the warning message “Caution: Possible fraud!” on customers’ phones. This amounts to an average of 210,000 alerts per day, with numbers rising slightly in recent weeks.
The warnings aim to make recipients cautious so they do not share personal information or send money to fraudsters. Police have also issued similar alerts as scam attempts increase toward the holiday period.
Most suspicious calls originate from foreign numbers, but German numbers are also affected. Vodafone reported that only 12% of flagged calls were answered, compared to a 60% acceptance rate for anonymous calls with no caller ID.
“The threat of fraud — both online and over the phone — is constant,” said Marcel de Groot, CEO of Vodafone Germany. He urged customers to stay vigilant, especially in the run-up to Christmas, a time when scam attempts typically intensify.
Vodafone’s system relies on an internal database of suspicious numbers, including unauthorized marketing hotlines and criminal callers seeking to obtain personal data or money under false pretenses.
De Groot emphasized that technology is helpful, but not sufficient: “Everyone must remain aware of who is on the other end of the line.”