DeutschA wrong click, a phone call, a few codes – in the end, there was a loss of a quarter of a million euros. In Langenfeld (NRW), a 41-year-old woman fell victim to a blatant crypto scam. The case impressively demonstrates how professional and unscrupulous digital criminals have become. And how high the price can be if you trust the wrong people.
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It was the evening of July 3, 2025, when an apparently urgent SMS message appeared on the woman’s smartphone. The sender: a well-known crypto trading platform. Content: Warning of suspicious access to her account. A security measure seemed urgently necessary – including the phone number of an alleged support employee.
Crypto Fraud: Woman Loses 250,000 Euros in Germany
The woman didn’t hesitate long. She called. A man answered on the other end, friendly, competent, trustworthy. He explained that it was necessary to verify her access data. The caller was directed to a website that looked deceptively similar to the real platform. There, she entered login data and confirmed via two-factor authentication. What she didn’t know: The page was a fake. The perpetrators now had everything they needed to commit the crypto fraud
The next morning came the shock: The entire crypto portfolio was emptied. Value: around 250,000 euros. The digital wallet in which the woman kept her savings had been plundered. What remained was the bitter realization about the crypto fraud – and the trip to the police.
But the investigations are proving difficult. The phone number provided is no longer reachable. The fake website was shut down shortly after the incident. Traces are lost in the digital void. The criminal police have taken over the investigation, but the chances of tracing it back are slim. Cryptocurrencies enable transparent transactions – but no chargebacks and only hard-to-grasp perpetrators.
Police Warn against Fraud in Connection with Bitcoin and Co.
This crypto fraud is not an isolated case. More and more people are falling for scams in the environment of Bitcoin & Co. Particularly perfidious: The perpetrators often use real names of platforms and deceptively genuine websites. The victims believe they are moving on safe terrain – until it is too late.
The police are again issuing urgent warnings: Never pass on personal access data or security codes on the phone or by email. No passwords, no TANs. No employee of a reputable platform will ever demand such information. Suspicious messages should be ignored, questionable calls should be ended immediately. When in doubt: Check directly with the real platform, your own bank or the police.
Interesting: Savings banks are opening up to Bitcoin – but are also keeping their distance
For the 41-year-old from Langenfeld, this warning about crypto fraud comes too late. The financial damage is immense, the psychological damage at least as high. Her trust in digital investments – shaken. While cryptocurrencies continue to be regarded as a lucrative, modern form of investment, a growing shadow remains impossible to ignore: The criminal energy that has settled between blockchain, wallets and trading apps. Anyone who invests must not only deal with fluctuations – but also with the risk of becoming a victim of organized cybercrime. (mck)
