Consumers in Germany are faced with rising energy costs. Especially shortly before the start of the heating season, there is great concern that electricity and, above all, gas bills will hardly be able to be paid. Energy suppliers and fraudsters are taking advantage of the situation to sell overpriced contracts to unsuspecting customers. The number of these cases has increased significantly.
Be careful on the phone: Electricity and gas contracts are often foisted on
High costs for electricity and gas are a burden for many consumers in Germany, and things are likely to get worse in the coming weeks. The situation brings with it uncertainty and worries that scammers and, in some cases, the energy suppliers take advantage of.
Criminals are increasingly pretending to be employees of energy companies on the phone, Report Mainz reports (source: SWR via Tagesschau). According to the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (VZBV), the Number of complaints about foisted contracts almost tripled this year. The number of unreported cases is likely to be larger, and by no means everyone concerned turns to consumer protection.
According to the authority, the Federal Network Agency also received a disproportionately high number of complaints after the “recently sharp rise in energy prices”. It’s about around 10,000 cases act, which are about “unauthorized advertising calls to energy supply products”, according to the daily news.
You should be careful not only on the phone, but also at the front door:
The scam is often similar: a supposed employee of an energy supplier who offers a cheaper contract answers the phone. Not infrequently those affected have already lost at this moment. Because even if you expressly do not want a new contract on the phone, in some cases the termination of the old contract flutters into the house only weeks later. The newly completed one at the same time, on the other hand, turns out to be significantly more expensive.
Are you always terrorized by the same number? How to get rid of the problem:
Dodgy corporations are said to forge signatures on contracts
Fraudsters are not always on the move, sometimes the utilities themselves are behind calls and foisted contracts, as a former employee from the energy industry reports. Actually, since 2021, contracts on the phone cannot be concluded without written confirmation. Apparently, not all companies adhere to this. In some cases, according to the Tagesschau, signatures are simply forged.
The consumer advocates call for tougher action by the Federal Network Agency and Higher penalties for corporate criminal activities. Otherwise, consumers often find it difficult to defend themselves against the corporations.