Watch Out for Latest Scams and Burglars on the Loose
In recent times, Dresden, Germany, has seen an increase in various scams and frauds aimed at deceiving residents. These scams, which are forms of social engineering, include PayPal calls, door-to-door visits, WhatsApp messages, and shock calls.
PayPal Calls
Scammers pose as PayPal representatives, contacting victims by phone to claim unauthorized transactions or account problems. They may pressure targets to reveal personal details, login credentials, or to transfer money to fraudulent accounts, with the ultimate goal being to steal PayPal funds or commit identity theft.
Door-to-door Visits
Fraudsters sometimes visit people’s homes pretending to be officials, utility workers, or sellers. Their intent is to gain trust and either steal valuables or trick residents into paying for fake services or products.
WhatsApp Messages
Victims receive fraudulent messages on WhatsApp that often claim urgent issues, offer fake prizes, or request money transfers. These scams may also involve links leading to phishing sites or malware downloads.
Shock Calls (Schockanrufe)
These are telephone scams where the caller shocks the victim with alarming news, such as a serious accident, a family emergency, or legal trouble, demanding immediate payment or sensitive information to resolve the fabricated crisis.
Authorities in Dresden and across Germany have been advising caution about unsolicited calls or messages and verifying identities before sharing personal data or money. While direct details about Dresden-specific incidents in August 2025 were not found in the search results, these scam types are widely recognized in the region.
For instance, German mobile operators and cybersecurity groups have been active in blocking millions of fraudulent calls to protect residents. In 2025, 1.4 million fraudulent calls were blocked on a Latvian network, serving as an analogous example.
While no specific source in the search results detailed recent Dresden-specific scam incidents involving PayPal, door-to-door, WhatsApp, or shock calls explicitly, these methods correspond to the common fraud types reported widely in Germany and are likely present in Dresden too.
Residents should remain vigilant, verify caller identities independently, avoid sharing credentials or payment information unsolicited, and report suspicious activities to local police or consumer protection agencies.
In particular, residents should be wary of unsolicited WhatsApp messages and shock calls. If you receive such a call, it is advised to hang up immediately. It is crucial not to let strangers into your home without proper verification.
One of these scams involves alleged calls from PayPal. The caller claims there is a misdirected payment that needs immediate prevention. However, it is important to note that the PayPal scam does not appear to involve any legitimate representatives from the company.
Another scam involves suspected thieves ringing doorbells, claiming to be from the landlord to check smoke detectors. This scam may be a ploy to gain access to homes.
In the shock calls, it's usually said that the family member can be released on bail. However, these calls do not involve any actual accidents or bail requests.
The scams in Dresden continue to use various methods to deceive residents, including fake WhatsApp messages and shock calls. Residents should not provide personal information in response to suspicious messages or calls and should report any such incidents to local authorities.
- Inadmissible callers posing as PayPal representatives have been contacting Dresden residents, using the pretext of unauthorized transactions or account problems to pressure victims into disclosing personal details, login credentials, or transferring money to fraudulent accounts.
- Suspects, disguising themselves as officials, utility workers, or sellers knocking on doors, have been visiting homes in Dresden with the intention to deceive and potentially steal valuables or coerce residents into paying for non-existent services or products.
- Criminals have illegally sent misleading messages on WhatsApp to Dresden residents, offering fabricated prizes, creating urgent issues, or requesting money transfers, often ending up leading the recipients to phishing sites or downloading malware.
