Anyone who shops online a lot will have received an email or two from Klarna. However, consumers should be especially wary of one.
Dortmund – Shop online, but pay later or split the bill into several installments. This is possible, among other things, with the Swedish payment provider Klarna. The consumer advice centre has repeatedly warned of the impending debt trap, but the current warning has a different background.
Klarna message warning: Do not press the button under any circumstances
Communication with Klarna is almost entirely via email or the app itself. So most consumers won’t be surprised to find a new message from the payment provider in their inbox. But that’s exactly where the current danger lies.
Most customers know and trust the pink Klarna logo. But here’s where you need to look twice. In an email dated June 28, the subject line “Direct Debit Mandate” called for an alleged necessary renewal of the direct debit mandate. However, this email doesn’t come from Klarna – it comes from phishing scammers.
Klarna-Mail Warning: Customers Should Not Rush
According to the NSW Consumer Advice Centre, the alleged Klarna email begins with a neutral, impersonal greeting. This should be the first warning sign for consumers. Additionally, the recipients are consistently identified in the message. As Klarna users will know, the company addresses its customers on a first-name basis – as is often the case in Sweden.
The email also states that the SEPA authorization for the customer's account will expire on June 29. You should act as soon as possible. Klarna customers who only open the email now, after the supposed deadline has passed, may become nervous and act carelessly. This is the goal of the scammers (more digital topics in RUHR24).
Phishing email with Klarna logo clicks: “ASAP”
The phishing email also threatens that you will not be able to make any further payments with Klarna without an extension. Therefore, you should renew “as soon as possible” and click the “Reactivate now” button.
And that's exactly where the danger lies. Anyone who clicks on the pink button is likely to be taken to a website designed to intercept data. Sensitive banking details and more information about the person can be requested here (more callbacks and warnings on RUHR24).
Klarna warns of phishing emails: passwords and credit card numbers at risk
According to Klarna itself, the goal of phishing emails is to steal passwords, credit card numbers and other personal data to use in purchasing goods. Therefore, there is a risk of huge financial damage.
The Consumer Advice Center advises against responding to the request via email. The message should be moved to the spam folder without replying to it.
