THE PRICE OF TRUST

Artifacts – Real Stories from Our Readers

Behind every story is a person and an experience that has left its mark. In this section, we publish true stories shared with us by our readers.

To protect privacy, all names and, where applicable, other personal information have been changed. The experiences described are based on reports from our readers.

Every story is a testament to lived experience – an artifact of reality.

A day when nothing went right

Dominik sat at his desk, glaring at the spinning loading bar. The project should have been with the client an hour ago, but his home internet was working as if it were being delivered by carrier pigeon.

„Come on, you piece of junk,“ Dominik muttered, trying to hypnotize the screen with his eyes.

The call

Unknown Munich landline number

Then his cell phone rang. An unknown Munich landline number, area code 089, appeared on the display. Normally, Dominik wouldn't answer it in the middle of work. But now, completely stressed out, he swiped his finger across the screen:

„Yes!"“

„"Good day, Mr. Becker!" said a friendly, professionally trained female voice. "My name is Valerie Hoffmann, I'm calling on behalf of 'NordLink Telekom'. You use our internet at Gartenstraße 12, Apartment 45, correct?"“

Dominik relaxed involuntarily. For a moment, his anger gave way to surprise.

„"Yes, that's right. What's the problem? Is there an issue with the connection? Everything is incredibly choppy for me right now."“

The offer sounds too good to be true.

„ULTRA SPEED“

„That’s exactly why I’m calling,“ said Ms. Hoffmann sympathetically. „We’ve noticed a drop in your connection speed. Your device is still using an outdated standard. But I have good news: the fiber optic rollout to your building is complete. We can switch you to our new ‚Ultra Speed‘ plan immediately: 500 Mbps instead of your current 100 Mbps. And the best part: the monthly price is even lower, just €29.99 instead of your current €44.99.“

Dominik did a quick mental calculation. Five times faster and cheaper to boot? That sounded like a godsend, especially given his situation.

An SMS code. For "confirmation".

„"Sounds great," he said. "And how does it work? Do I have to come into a shop with my ID card?"“

„Oh no, Mr. Becker, we value our customers“ time,„ the young woman laughed gently. “Everything is digital and only takes a few minutes. I’m currently preparing the electronic contract change. You’ll receive a text message with a code from our verification system shortly. Please dictate the code to me as soon as it arrives, and I’ll switch your plan immediately. The speed will increase within two minutes.”

Dominik breathed a sigh of relief. "Two minutes, and the project will be sent out."„

---

THE CONDITION

Bing.

A text message. Dominik opened it, ready to read the numbers aloud. But then he paused.

The message did not come from "NordLink Telekom", but from PayPal.

PayPal: Your security code is 583174. Never share this code with anyone else.

Dominik frowned. Why would his internet provider need a security code from a payment service?

The sender is incorrect.

CALLER

„"Mrs. Hoffmann, why am I receiving a text message from PayPal?" he asked.

There was a brief silence. It lasted barely a second, but Dominik noticed the hesitation.

„"This is a standard procedure under the new Telecommunications Act."“

„That’s part of our central identity verification process, Mr. Becker,“ Ms. Hoffmann replied hastily. „Our system works with various security services. The code simply confirms your identity. I only need it to finalize the contract amendment.“

She was speaking faster now than before.

„"Please read the six digits to me. The session is about to end, and then we would have to restart the entire process."“

After a brief hesitation, under increasing pressure.

There was now a slight, barely perceptible strain in her voice. The tone was no longer so friendly; impatience was evident.

Dominik looked at the text message again. The code was specifically meant for him, and the message warned against sharing it.

A suspicion slowly formed in his mind: perhaps someone had already tried to access his PayPal account or initiate a recovery attempt. The caller apparently didn't want the code for a tariff change, but for a completely different process.

Had Dominik revealed the numbers, he might have allowed the stranger to complete the security step they had begun. Whether they would have actually gained access to his account afterward depended on further security checks. But one thing was clear: he would have helped a stranger overcome a security barrier.

„You know what, Ms. Hoffmann?“ Dominik said calmly. „I just received a text message from PayPal. It says I shouldn’t give the code to anyone. And you’re telling me I need it for an internet contract.“

There was silence at the other end of the line.

„"This is a perfectly normal procedure, Mr. Becker. You have to trust me."“

Dominik smiled bitterly.

„"No. If you were really from my internet provider, you wouldn't need a security code from my payment service."“

He ended the conversation.

He stared at his phone for another moment. Then he opened PayPal itself using the official app and checked his account and the available security information. Afterward, he contacted his internet provider using the official phone number.

This time he would not be pressured.

„Welcome to NordLink Telekom,“ a voice computer announced first, then he was transferred to a real employee, a young man named Leon.

„Good afternoon, Leon,“ said Dominik. „Someone just called on your behalf and offered me the ‚Ultra Speed‘ plan for €29.99, with confirmation via a PayPal code.“

„No, Mr. Becker, that’s definitely not a procedure we use for changing tariffs,“ Leon explained. „We never ask for security codes from PayPal or other payment services. If someone asks you for such a code over the phone, under no circumstances should you give it out.“

„"Could that person access my account?" Dominik asked.

„"That depends on what process the person initiated and what further security checks are required. But such a code can be used to confirm an unauthorized login or recovery attempt. You acted correctly by not sharing it."“

Editor's tips:

• Never give out SMS codes over the phone, not even to alleged employees of your provider.
• If the code comes from a sender other than the caller, hang up immediately.
• Call the provider back yourself using the official number.
• You can report attempted fraud to the consumer advice center, the Federal Network Agency or the police.

Politeness proves nothing

A friendly tone, your name and address are not proof.

The only real protection: Vigilance and a cool head.