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Bavarian Woman Loses €2,500 to Fake Hotline After Flight Cancellation Linked to Iran War

Police say a bogus customer-service number found via an online search enabled a caller to take remote control of her phone.

Overview

  • A 23-year-old from Pfarrkirchen attempted to rebook a canceled Middle East flight on her own after the disruption tied to the Iran war.
  • The number she called appeared in search results and seemed to belong to a booking portal’s support line, according to police.
  • Trusting the caller’s claim to be a service agent, she granted remote access to her mobile device.
  • Multiple transactions then debited a total of €2,500 from her bank account, police said.
  • Authorities have opened an investigation on suspicion of Leistungsbetrug against unknown perpetrators, with no arrests reported.