Scam calls posing as PayPal: what to do

Updated:
05.10.2026

The call starts with an automated voice message (Bandansage) supposedly from PayPal: a suspicious payment has been initiated on your account, press “1” to cancel it. The scam is not new — the Bundesnetzagentur (Federal Network Agency) officially warned about it back in 2023 — but according to the Verbraucherzentrale (consumer advice centre) it is still around in 2026. Here is why it works and what to do.

How it works

Classic social engineering: pressure, urgency and a well-known brand. It works precisely because the thought of money being taken without authorisation is frightening — and people press the button before they have time to think.

What follows is a predictable script: after you press, you are put through to an “employee”, and the next step is an SMS or an email with a link to a site that looks very much like the real PayPal, where you are asked to enter your login details.

The scammers’ numbers are often foreign or withheld. But as the Bundesnetzagentur notes, ordinary German mobile numbers are appearing on the display more and more often — which makes the fraud significantly harder to spot. According to a PayPal spokesperson, the company “in der Regel” (as a rule) does not call its customers and certainly does not demand over the phone that a payment be made.

What to do if you get such a call

Hang up. The Bundesnetzagentur’s recommendation, word for word: “Beenden Sie den Anruf. Ignorieren Sie die Aufforderung, eine Taste zu drücken. Teilen Sie keinesfalls persönliche Daten mit!”
Do not trust the number on the display — spoofing a number is technically trivial
Check the account yourself: through the app or by typing the address by hand, not via the link in the message
If the payment really does exist — write to support through the app or the website, not via the number from the message
Complain to the Bundesnetzagentur using the form at bundesnetzagentur.de/rufnummernmissbrauch
Warn your parents and elderly relatives — they are the main target of these call campaigns

An important limitation: for calls with no number displayed, the Bundesnetzagentur does not investigate number spoofing — the number that was on the screen is needed. And the authority states explicitly that it has no general power to establish where calls come from: if a crime is suspected, you have to go to the police.

The scale is nevertheless notable: in 2025 the Bundesnetzagentur received 85’158 complaints about the misuse of phone numbers, and around 6’200 numbers were shut down.

If you have already entered your data

You have to act immediately: change passwords and access data, check whether any unauthorised transactions have gone through, contact the support of the genuine service and file a report with the police — that is the official recommendation of the Bundesnetzagentur.

When it comes to the money, there is a difference worth knowing that many people learn about too late. If the payment was unauthorised, § 675u BGB (German Civil Code) obliges the provider to refund the amount — immediately, and no later than the end of the following business day after being notified. But if you confirmed the payment yourself, it counts as authorised and this rule does not apply. The limitation of your own liability to 50 € under § 675v BGB is not unconditional either: in cases of intent or gross negligence you are liable in full.

Have you had one of these calls too?

Write a comment

Frequently asked questions

Does PayPal call its customers?

According to a company spokesperson quoted by the Verbraucherzentrale, PayPal “in der Regel” does not call its customers and certainly does not demand over the phone that a payment be made or cancelled. Any such call should be treated as suspicious.

Where can you complain about such calls?

To the Bundesnetzagentur using the form at bundesnetzagentur.de/rufnummernmissbrauch — there are separate forms for automated voice messages (Bandansage) and for number spoofing. If no number was shown on the display, the authority does not investigate spoofing. If a crime is suspected, file a report with the police.

Will I get my money back if I fell for the scam?

It depends on whether the payment was authorised. Under § 675u BGB the provider must refund the amount immediately in the case of an unauthorised payment. If you confirmed the transaction yourself, this rule does not apply, and in cases of gross negligence liability under § 675v BGB is not capped at 50 euros.