Fraud Help Germany: What to Do After a Scam

If someone is in immediate danger: contact your local emergency service. Do not use the contact details supplied by a suspected fraudster.

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Fraud help in Germany: man reviewing a suspicious letter with Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate in the background.

Finding Fraud Help in Germany

A fraudulent bank transfer, fake online shop, misleading investment offer or account opened in your name can leave you unsure where to turn. This guide brings together fraud-help resources for Germany, including police reporting, card blocking, identity protection and consumer advice.

If money or banking credentials are involved, contact your bank immediately using independently verified contact details. For a criminal report, you can visit a police station or use the appropriate state police Onlinewache for eligible non-emergency cases. Different organisations have different responsibilities, so notifying your bank does not replace reporting the crime.

Check Suspicious Documents Independently

Fraudsters may copy a genuine company’s name, logo or letterhead to create convincing job offers, invoices and other documents. A professional appearance does not establish that a communication came from the organisation it claims to represent.

Our article on company letterhead security and scam prevention explains why these visual details need independent verification. Businesses can also explore anti-fraud measures for business communication to give recipients clearer ways to check authenticity.

If a document claims to have been issued through VerifiableLetter, visit our document verification portal directly. The service checks documents issued through our platform; it does not authenticate every document you might receive.

Preserve Evidence and Find the Right Reporting Channel

Keep messages, receipts, transaction references and copies of suspicious documents. Write down what happened while the details are fresh. If someone has used your identity, you may also need to contact affected businesses and challenge inaccurate information held by credit agencies.

Use the sections below to find the relevant resources. If another country is involved, you can also consult our country fraud-help directory. Be cautious of anyone who unexpectedly promises to recover your money in exchange for another payment.

1. Stop Further Losses

1. For an immediate police emergency, call 110. For a medical emergency or fire, call 112.

2. Stop sending money and end contact with the suspected fraudster. Do not share additional passwords, identity documents or banking codes.

3. Contact your bank or payment provider immediately. Ask it to secure affected accounts and explain whether the payment can be stopped, recalled or disputed.

4. If a card or supported banking service needs blocking, call your bank or Sperr-Notruf on 116 116. Participation varies by provider, so confirm that the necessary blocking has been completed.

5. Save messages, emails, receipts, transaction details, website addresses and screenshots.

6. Change compromised passwords from a trusted device and enable multi-factor authentication. If a device may be compromised, use another device to secure your accounts.

7. Report the incident to the police and keep the acknowledgement and reference number.

8. Do not pay an unsolicited recovery service that promises a guaranteed refund.

2. Contact Your Bank or Payment Provider

Contact your bank or payment provider immediately using its official app, website or the telephone number on your card.

Explain whether a transaction happened without your authorisation or whether you made the payment after being deceived. Provide the amount, date, recipient details and transaction reference.

Ask about blocking affected cards or online banking and whether a transfer recall, payment dispute or card chargeback is available. Refund eligibility depends on the payment method and circumstances; recovery is not guaranteed.

Sperr-Notruf:
- Within Germany: 116 116
- From abroad: +49 116 116
- Alternative from abroad: +49 30 4050 4050

The service operates around the clock for supported cards and services. Not every provider participates. Contact your bank directly if your product is unsupported or blocking cannot be completed.

Keep all complaint references and request a written response. If the dispute remains unresolved, ask the bank which recognised dispute-resolution or ombudsman scheme covers it. A Verbraucherzentrale can help you understand your options.

3. Report the Fraud to Police

Report fraud at a police station or use the official Onlinewache portal for eligible non-emergency cases.

Follow the portal’s instructions to select the relevant federal state:
- If the incident occurred in Germany, select the state where it happened.
- If it happened online, abroad or at an unknown location and you live in Germany, select the state of your German home address.

Provide a clear account of the incident and attach relevant evidence where the form permits it. Available forms vary by state.

Keep the submission acknowledgement and any police reference number provided.

For complex cases, or if the online form does not fit your situation, contact a police station directly. For an immediate police emergency, call 110.

4. Report Cybercrime and Online Fraud

Report criminal online fraud to the police. The official Onlinewache portal includes reporting options for internet fraud and misuse of personal data or customer accounts, depending on the state.

Preserve original emails, messages, website addresses, usernames, payment records and screenshots. Keep a timeline of events.

Report compromised accounts or fraudulent listings through the affected platform’s official support process as well.

If you suspect malware or remote access, stop using the affected device for banking. Use another trusted device to secure accounts and obtain technical assistance.

The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) provides cybersecurity guidance. Its information services do not replace a police report.
https://www.bsi.bund.de/

5. Protect Your Identity

Report suspected identity misuse to the police and contact each affected bank, merchant, lender or service provider.

If you receive invoices or collection demands for contracts you did not make, dispute them promptly in writing. Explain the suspected identity misuse and keep copies of your correspondence. Do not ignore court documents or response deadlines; seek advice promptly.

Secure your email and other affected accounts, change reused passwords and enable multi-factor authentication.

Notify the issuing authority if an identity document or passport has been lost or stolen. Ask about any additional steps needed to protect electronic identity functions.

If you have been a victim of identity fraud, use SCHUFA’s official victim-reporting process and review its eligibility and evidence requirements:
https://www.schufa.de/kontakt/einmeldung-identitaetsbetrug/

Check your credit information for unfamiliar entries and request correction of inaccurate information. Reporting identity fraud does not automatically remove disputed debts or prevent every future fraudulent application.

6. Protect Your Credit

SCHUFA
Use SCHUFA’s official service channels to review your information, report identity fraud and request correction of inaccurate data.

Identity-fraud reporting:
https://www.schufa.de/kontakt/einmeldung-identitaetsbetrug/

Service and correction options:
https://www.meineschufa.de/service

SCHUFA provides a free copy of your personal data under Article 15 GDPR, called a “Datenkopie.” Select the free data-copy service if that is what you need; paid credit-information products are separate.

Check for unfamiliar accounts, enquiries or payment problems. Contact both SCHUFA and the business that supplied disputed information, and keep supporting evidence.

SCHUFA is not Germany’s only credit-information agency. If an affected provider identifies another agency holding your data, contact that agency directly too.

Ask a Verbraucherzentrale for assistance if you cannot resolve inaccurate records or fraudulent demands.

7. Consumer-Protection Resources

Verbraucherzentrale — Consumer Advice Centres
The consumer centres in Germany’s federal states provide information and advice on consumer disputes, identity misuse and financial problems. Check the relevant centre’s services, language availability and any fees.
https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/beratung

BaFin — Federal Financial Supervisory Authority
For concerns about a financial business or suspected activity without the required authorisation, consult BaFin’s complaint and reporting information.
https://bafin.de/DE/Verbraucher/BeschwerdenStreitschlichtung/BeiBaFinbeschweren/BeiBaFinbeschweren_node.html

For a dispute with your bank or another financial provider, complain to the business in writing and keep its response. Ask about the applicable ombudsman or dispute-resolution scheme if the matter remains unresolved.

A regulatory complaint is not a substitute for a police report. Do not assume that submitting a complaint secures reimbursement or extends a legal deadline.

8. Employment and Immigration Fraud

Verify a job offer directly with the employer using contact details found independently of the recruiter or offer letter.

Be cautious of guaranteed visas, pressure to pay immediately, requests to transfer money through your personal bank account, or supposed jobs requiring you to open a bank account on someone else’s instructions.

Germany permits private recruitment services, so a fee alone does not prove fraud. Check the written contract, what services are included, who must pay and whether the arrangement complies with the applicable rules. Obtain advice before accepting unclear charges.

Use the German government’s Make it in Germany portal for information about recruitment agencies and working in Germany:
https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/working-in-germany/job/placement-agencies

Make it in Germany does not itself provide recruitment services. A private agency cannot guarantee that you will receive a German visa.

Verify visa requirements and payment instructions with the responsible German embassy or consulate. If you have paid a suspected scammer, contact your bank and report the incident to the police.

Official Contacts and Telephone Numbers

Police emergency
110
For immediate police assistance.

Medical and fire emergencies
112

Police Onlinewache
For eligible non-emergency criminal reports.
https://portal.onlinewache.polizei.de/de/

Sperr-Notruf — card and service blocking
Within Germany: 116 116
From abroad: +49 116 116
Alternative from abroad: +49 30 4050 4050
Participation varies by provider.
https://www.sperr-notruf.de/

SCHUFA — identity-fraud reporting
https://www.schufa.de/kontakt/einmeldung-identitaetsbetrug/

Verbraucherzentrale — consumer advice
https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/beratung

BaFin — financial supervision
https://bafin.de/

BSI — cybersecurity information
https://www.bsi.bund.de/

Make it in Germany — official work and immigration information
https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/

Report the Fraud

German police — the relevant state police force (Landespolizei)

National fraud-reporting website → Police reporting website → Cybercrime reporting website →

Official Sources

Received a suspicious business document?

Check whether a document issued through VerifiableLetter is authentic.

Verify a Suspicious Document Visit the Community Support Centre

Important: This guide provides general information and is not legal, financial or emergency advice. Contact details, reporting procedures and available services may change. Confirm current requirements directly with the relevant organisation. Reporting fraud does not guarantee reimbursement or recovery. For immediate police assistance call 110; for a medical emergency or fire call 112.