Sources
The scenes of SnappinQuiz are inspired by real scams. Some are modelled on these publicly reported cases.
Fake warnings and fake support calls
Fake warnings block the screen and show a phone number. On the phone, people posing as Microsoft staff ask for remote access or up to €400 for maintenance.
Verbraucherzentrale, German consumer advice, as of 11 April 2023
“Hi Mum, it's my new number”
A 17-year-old is accused of sending more than 360,000 text messages saying “Hi Mum, hi Dad”, as if from the recipient's child in money trouble. Cologne police opened about 160 cases in this context. The damage is estimated at over €100,000.
Fake parcel texts with malware
In spring 2021, many phones got texts saying that a parcel was going back to the sender. The link mostly led to the malware FluBot, disguised as a tracking app of well-known delivery companies. The BSI, the German federal office for IT security, advised not to tap the link and to delete the text.
Fake bank staff on the phone
On a weekend in early June 2026, a couple in the Salzlandkreis district got calls from a supposed bank employee. To undo suspicious transfers, they confirmed several TAN approvals. The approvals gave the fraudsters access to the account. The damage runs to five figures.
Attack and defense since 1971
The years in the story of Jack and Shelly and on the timeline come from these sources.
1971: Creeper crawls through the network
In 1971, the program Creeper moved through the ARPANET, a forerunner of the internet, and showed “I'M THE CREEPER : CATCH ME IF YOU CAN” on other people's computers.
1972: Reaper deletes Creeper
In 1972, Ray Tomlinson wrote the program Reaper, which tracked Creeper down in the ARPANET and deleted it. Some call it the first antivirus program.
1988: The Morris worm spreads across the internet
On 2 November 1988, the Morris worm spread across the internet.
1988: CERT is founded
In November 1988, the CERT Coordination Center was founded at Carnegie Mellon University, at the direction of DARPA.
Wikipedia, “CERT Coordination Center”, retrieved 26 October 2026
1991: Germany's BSI starts work
On 1 January 1991, the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) started work in Bonn.
Wikipedia (German), “Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik”, retrieved 26 October 2026
2000: ILOVEYOU arrives by email
On 4 May 2000, the worm ILOVEYOU arrived by email and reached about 10% of the computers connected to the internet.
2017: The WannaCry ransomware
On 12 May 2017, the WannaCry ransomware attacked computers around the world. An update against the flaw it used had been out since 14 March 2017.
Wikipedia, “WannaCry ransomware attack”, retrieved 26 October 2026
2019: A faked voice of the boss
In 2019, the head of a British energy company transferred €220,000 after a call in which AI faked the voice of the head of the parent company.
1987: The first virus scanners
In 1987, the first antivirus programs came out, among them one by G Data for the Atari ST and one by McAfee.
2022: It is almost always about money
According to the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report 2022, about 93% of the breaches it studied were about money.
The Record, report on the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report 2022, retrieved 26 October 2026