Pension benefit approved: 723-euro promise is phishing

Summary

Why is this warning issued?

This warning has been included because it is based on a report from Watchlist Internet. It is intended to protect other users from this scam. The assessed risk is elevated.

How the scam works

• Receiving an email claiming that the pension benefit for 2025 has been approved.
• A specific payout of 723 euros for the coming month is promised.
• Recipients are asked to click a link and select their bank there.
• The link leads to a fake page that harvests bank details.
• The stolen data is used for further fraud attempts, such as calls from alleged bank or authority employees who know an unusually large amount about those affected.
• In the worst case, the data is used to debit money from the accounts of those affected.

How to recognise it

• Unsolicited email claiming that a pension benefit has been approved.
• Promise of a specific payout of 723 euros as a special payment.
• Request to select one's own bank via a link so that the transfer can be made.
• The displayed sender name sounds legitimate, but the actual email address has nothing to do with the pension insurance.
• Pension insurance never sends payout information by email or SMS and does not request bank or personal data through these channels.
• Impersonal greeting and time pressure
• Link to an external login page
• Spelling or grammar errors, differing sender address

How to protect yourself

• Check plausibility: Have you even submitted a pension application? Does the amount mentioned match your situation?
• Do not click any links in the message; always open websites yourself in your browser.
• Check the sender carefully: What matters is the actual email address behind the displayed name, not the name itself.
• If you have clicked the link and entered data: contact your bank immediately and have cards or accounts blocked if necessary.
• Change important passwords and access credentials and be especially wary of further calls or messages.
• If money has already been lost: file a report with the police.

What you should never do

• Do not click the link in the message.
• Do not enter any bank details or personal data on the linked page.
• Do not be deceived by the displayed sender name alone; always check the real sender address.
• In the case of follow-up calls that suspiciously know a lot about you, do not provide any further information.
• Do not accept alleged demands or payout promises without checking them or trigger any payments.

Frequently asked questions

Affected data

Comments

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Original source

Update history

• 10/10/2026Description updated
• 09/10/2026Warning added from an official source