Currently, fraudsters are trying to obtain information from citizens via e-mail. They send e-mails with titles such as "Please update your company data" in the name of ELSTER. It is claimed that without updating the company data, penalties by the tax office are imminent. We expressly warn against responding to this scam e-mail or opening the links in the e-mail.
For more information on scam e-mails, visit the Security page atELSTER.
The sender is, for example, ELSTER, the tax office or the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt). In these messages, the recipient is usually requested to open an attached file, which is supposed to be a tax assessment notice or an invoice.
Both the sender's address and the content of the e-mail vary constantly. In all cases, however, attempts are made to obtain registration data and account and/or credit card information from taxpayers by e-mail.
As a matter of principle, the tax administration will only send you notifications, but never the actual tax data or invoices in the form of an e-mail attachment.
Please note the following:
- Never open attachments that you are not sure are from a trusted source.
- The tax administration will never request information in an email, such as your tax number, account details, credit card numbers, PIN or the answer to your security question
- Do not click on an embedded link in an email if you have any doubt that the email is from the Internal Revenue Service.
- General tips for using the Internet, as well as current warnings, can be found on the website of the BSI - Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (German Federal Office for Information Security).