Companies are being warned about a new scam.
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A fake law firm has been sending demand letters to companies in recent weeks.
The letters state that the companies have violated the General Data Protection Regulation.
The letter is signed by the lawyer “Herbert Pekoll” and the “Schirrmer Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH” – but neither of them exists.
In recent weeks, companies have received a letter of demand from a law firm. The law firm writes in it that the companies have violated the General Data Protection Regulation. The letter is signed by lawyer “Herbert Pekoll” from “Schirrmer Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH”. The problem: the law firm and the lawyer do not even exist.
Fake law firm sends payment demands
The letter is a new method of fraud. The Federal Bar AssociationThe scam appears to be aimed at intimidating companies and encouraging them to make unauthorized payments or other actions. The Federal Bar Association has issued a Sample letter published.
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It states: “As part of our regular checks of IT security and data protection in your company, it was discovered that you downloaded data from external sources without authorization on May 30, 2024. This behavior represents a significant violation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).”
The letter demands that the downloaded data be deleted within the next 30 days. The letter also threatens legal consequences and disciplinary measures within the company.
How companies can protect themselves
To protect themselves from such fraud attempts, companies should take several measures. The Federal Bar Association advises checking the sender details carefully and researching whether the law firm specified actually exists. This can be done via the nationwide official lawyer directory If you are unsure, you should contact a trustworthy lawyer.
It is also important not to respond to suspicious demands and not to make hasty payments. If you suspect anything, you should report the incident to the relevant authorities or consumer protection agencies in order to initiate further steps and warn other companies.
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