Sponsored posts from online scammers are appearing more and more frequently on social media. The same familiar pattern is always followed: advertisements with names and pictures of prominent people such as Armin Wolf, Alexander Van der Bellen or Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz .
Once clicked on, the displays with exciting headlines and curiosity-provoking teasers lead to fake “articles” that promise the reader big money through crypto investments.
It's all just stolen
A black and white photo of ORF presenter Armin Wolf on Facebook and Instagram, which aims to draw attention to the fact that his future is in danger. “derstandard.at” is given as a reputable source, but you are redirected to a supposed “Krone.at” report in which it is reported that the ZIB moderator recommended a Bitcoin investment.

If you type or click on the article, you end up on the WRONG “Kronen Zeitung” website.

This scam is not new. Last year, the name of Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen was used for this criminal scam.

Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz and actor Christoph Waltz have also unknowingly been featured in such fake advertisements.
The editorial director of Watchlist Internet , Declan Hiscox, points out that you should definitely not trust these reports and that you should always be critical of such financial tips, even if the sites look deceptively real.
Prominent financial advisors
Especially now, when everything is becoming more and more expensive and many users find themselves in financial distress, reports promising big money are particularly dangerous.
“I neither have a financial advisor, nor do I ever give investment tips, nor do I have Bitcoins or am Austria’s richest journalist. “All lies.”
Armin Wolf

However, the affected celebrities often have their hands tied when it comes to taking action against these fraudulent advertising promises.
“Legally speaking, the use of the images and the brand name is not okay. The problem, however, is that the fraudsters are often inaccessible because they are based abroad or hide their identities.”
Declan Hiscox, Watchlist Internet
Easy Come Easy Go
Anyone who has been convinced by the tempting promises and has invested money on the fake crypto platforms will be led to believe by the platforms that the money has already increased. However, if you request a payout, the fraudsters disappear and the money with them.
“It often happens that actual victims of this scam contact us. The damage amounts range from 200 euros to several hundred thousand euros invested in the fake platforms.
Declan Hiscox, Watchlist Internet
If you become a victim of such fraud, it is definitely advisable to file a criminal complaint with the police .
The chance of getting the money back is relatively low, but in some cases investigations have been successful years later and at least small partial amounts have been refunded to the victims."
Report suspicious ads
If you come across such and similar suspicious advertisements or advertisements, you should report both the advertisement and the profile that distributes the content directly to the platform.
Fraudulent websites can also be reported to Watchlist Internet Even though crypto investment fraud has been reported and warned on several occasions, numerous affected people continue to come forward.
“Many people still don’t know the warnings about this. Sometimes trust is born out of necessity because someone is desperate. People who believe in conspiracy theories are 'particularly vulnerable' because they firmly believe that there is a system whereby the rich stay rich and that is exactly what the criminals are relying on in their letters.”
Declan Hiscox, Watchlist Internet
You might also be interested in: “ Serious fraud in alleged crypto trading ”
Source : futurezone , Watchlist Internet
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