Caution! 23-year-old loses 15,000 euros in internet fraud traps

Eine 23-jährige Frau aus Südoststeiermark verlor 15.000 Euro durch einen Internetbetrug mit Fake-Nebenjobs. Die Polizei warnt.
A 23-year-old woman from Southeast Styria lost 15,000 euros from an internet fraud with fake new jobs. The police warn. (Symbolbild/ANAGAT)

Caution! 23-year-old loses 15,000 euros in internet fraud traps

A rather unsightly incident occurred in the Southeast Styria district, which should stimulate thought. A 23-year-old woman was the victim of a professionally staged internet fraud and lost around 15,000 euros. The police urge the risk of fake evaluation platforms that bait unsuspecting people with tempting part-time jobs. Like meinzirk.at , everything started with a supposedly harmless advertising display on a social-media-platform an.

The ad promised a simple additional income in which the woman should write product reviews from home. The online platform looked serious and looked almost professionally, which, however, turned out to be deceptive. In order to be able to submit the first reviews, the woman was asked to activate a "job account" with a deposit of 500 euros. According to the makers, this investment should pay off quickly - a fallacy, as it turned out later.

The misleading signs

In order to support the credibility of the offer, the young woman initially received a withdrawal of 200 euros in cryptocurrency. This seemed to be positive evidence of the authenticity of the offer. Over the following weeks, she then transferred a total of around 15,000 euros to a digital crypto wallet. But when the promised further payments failed to fail, she realized that she had been cheated. Then she filed a complaint with the police, who now indicates this known fraud form.

"The perpetrators often act anonymously and internationally, and contact often takes place via social networks or messaging services such as whatsapp and telegram," the officials explain. It is particularly alarming that in addition to money, personal data such as credit card information or ID data is also targeted by criminals.

evaluation systems on the Internet: a double -edged sword

The situation makes it clear how important it is to be careful when dealing with user reviews. According to bundeskartellamt.de , fake or manipulated reviews are widespread and can represent a decisive criterion when choosing offers. Consumers should always be aware that not every evaluation is real. If you are interested in a product, you should carefully study the reviews and pay attention to possible abnormalities such as exaggerated language.

It is recommended to take the time to read different opinions and to consider the information of the portals about your evaluation system. It can also be helpful to share reviews to offer others support.

protection against internet fraud

in everyday online shopping, so reports Consumerzentral.de, there are some warning signals to know such To prevent fraud. Offers that are significantly cheaper than the competition or goods that are specified as available, although they are sold out everywhere should be viewed skeptically. If prepayment is requested, some consumers beat the alarm bells.

After a fraud, there are ways to get your money back, depending on the payment method, but transfers cannot be reversed once they have been carried out. However, SEPA direct debits can be booked back within eight weeks, while credit card payments can be canceled under certain conditions. A timely contact with the fraud hotline of the respective provider is also advisable.

The events related to the 23-year-old's fraud should give an important food for thought and show that the risk of fraud is omnipresent on the Internet. You can protect yourself and others through education and vigilance.

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OrtSüdoststeiermark, Österreich
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