City of Forchheim warns: Watch out for fraudulent emails!

City of Forchheim warns: Watch out for fraudulent emails!

The city of Forchheim is currently issuing an important warning: Fraudsters are targeting the invoice data of companies that are in contact with the city. They posed as the city of Forchheim using a third-party email address, namely billing[at]betriebs-finanzen.com. A fraudulent email asks recipients to share their billing information. The signature of the email incorrectly indicates the address “Birkenfelderstraße 2-4”, which partly contributes to the confusion. However, the city emphasizes that these are unlawful attempts and that none of these emails actually come from it or its offices. All official emails always end in the domain “@forchheim.de”.

Citizens and cooperating companies are urged not to pass on any personal information or billing data based on these dubious letters. Mayor Dr. Uwe Kirschstein has already announced that he will report the current case. If you have any questions, those affected can contact the organization office of the city of Forchheim organisation@forchheim.de or call 09191 714-150. Alternatively, there is the citizen's mailbox buergeranfrage@forchheim.de available.

Phishing – the scam used by fraudsters

These incidents are not isolated cases. According to the consumer advice center, emails were sent to DKB customers on October 28, 2025, asking them to confirm their telephone number “immediately”. The term “immediately” is intended to create pressure and encourage recipients to act quickly. Here, too, there are signs of typical phishing: from impersonal addresses (“Dear Customer”) to dubious sender addresses, which should trigger all emergency calls. In addition, links in such correspondence can also cause data security violations.

Phishing scams are common in today's digital world. This method, which is derived from the English “password harvesting” and “fishing”, aims to steal personal data. Whether via email, SMS or fake websites – scammers are resourceful and use various channels to obtain their victims’ information. Pressure is often applied so as not to give users time to think.

How to recognize phishing emails

There are some common characteristics that can help identify phishing emails. This includes:

• Fehlende persönliche Anrede
• Rechtschreibfehler oder unprofessionelle Gestaltung
• Unaufgeforderte E-Mails, oft in englischer Sprache
• Drohungen mit Kontoeinschränkungen

If you have doubts about the authenticity of an email, you should be careful. Check the sender carefully and never hastily click on links contained in such emails. Instead, it is advisable to directly visit the official website or app of the respective company to verify information. Fraudsters often pretend to be employees of large companies on the telephone and put the callers under pressure.

If you have fallen victim to such fraud, you should inform your bank immediately and, if necessary, have your access data blocked. In a world where phishing is becoming increasingly sophisticated, it is important to remain vigilant and protect your personal information well.

The city of Forchheim and the consumer advice center stand by the citizens. It is important to work together to put a stop to such scams and strengthen your own security in the digital world. For more information about the current warnings, see Wiesentbote, Consumer advice center and NDR.