Recently, numerous companies across Austria have been receiving fraudulent emails from the address “ [email protected] ”. It demands payment of 899 euros for an alleged “platinum entry” in the firmenradar.com company directory. Such invoices should under no circumstances be paid as it is a sophisticated scam.
The emails claim an “automatic contract extension” for services that were never contracted for. The alleged service is said to include a “platinum listing” on firmenradar.com, but upon closer inspection it quickly becomes clear that the alleged value of such a listing is questionable. The website firmenradar.com itself also appears dubious: it is poorly designed, does not contain a complete legal notice and offers no discernible added value for the listed companies.
Text of the email:
Service: Platinum entry
Net amount: €899.00
Total amount: €899.00
Payable: 5 days 7% discount, 14 days Gross
entry ends automatically (WITHOUT CANCELLATION PERIOD) on April 24th, 2025
The invoice is issued in accordance with our agreement on the basis of the automatic contract extension.
PayPal account [ [email protected] ] [email protected]
We also offer our customers payment with PayPal.
This is primarily to prevent fraud and ensures that you can feel safe as a paying customer.
With PayPal you have 6 weeks of PayPal buyer protection Payment page only for customers with a PayPal account
[ [email protected] ] [email protected]This invoice is due for payment immediately. 14 days after the due date and receipt of this invoice you are in default in accordance with Section 286 Paragraph 3 of the German Civil Code (BGB). The default interest amounts to 5% above the base interest rate if you have ordered from us as a private consumer. If you are an entrepreneur, the interest rate is 8% above the base interest rate in accordance with Section 288 Paragraphs 1 and 2 BGB.
Invoice amount: €899.00
The total amount must be paid to our account listed below by May 9th, 2024.
PayPal Account [ [email protected] ] [email protected]
Kind regards,
Source: watchlist-internet
Company Radar
The scam behind the false invoices from firmenradar.com
The company appears to be affiliated with other dubious business directories such as branchenbuchsuchmaschine-online.com or firmenfinder-online.com, all of which are run by the same “marketing and search engine optimization company.” This company is known for its involvement in similar scams that trick unsuspecting businesses into paying for non-existent or worthless services.
Precautions and legal aspects
Experts strongly advise against responding to such payment requests. Instead, contact with the senders should be avoided and no payment should be made. There is no legal basis for the claims because the alleged contractual relationships cannot be proven. Companies that have already made payments should try to reclaim them through their payment service provider and report the case to the relevant authorities.
Questions and answers:
Question 1: What should I do if I receive such an invoice?
Answer 1: Ignore the payment request, document all correspondence and report the incident to the authorities.
Question 2: How can I make sure I don't fall for similar scams?
Answer 2: Always check the integrity of email addresses and websites and look for reviews or warnings online.
Question 3: Is there a way to get my money back if I have already paid?
Answer 3: Contact your payment service provider and explain the fraud to initiate a chargeback.
Question 4: How can I identify fraudulent business directories in the future?
Answer 4: Be skeptical of company directories without a transparent imprint or recognizable added value.
Question 5: What do I do if I continue to be contacted by firmenradar.com?
Answer 5: Block the sender address and ignore further contact attempts.
Conclusion
The firmenradar.com fake invoice scam is a classic case of fraud aimed at financially harming companies by creating illusory obligations. It is important to remain vigilant, to recognize such attempts at fraud and to reject them decisively. Companies should always question the authenticity of such claims and, if in doubt, seek legal advice.
Source: watchlist-internet
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )