The website “Brennholz Wloka” (brennholzwloka.de), run by fraudsters, became known to the police after a tip from a man from Waake who was offering oven-ready firewood for sale via his Facebook account. According to his own information, he has received several telephone inquiries in the last few days via the cell phone number published there as to whether he would also sell wood on pallets, which he replied in the negative because he did not have this on offer. The customers then reported to him that they had read this offer on “his” site on the Internet and that the purchase price should then be transferred to Bulgaria.
Fake firewood shop
The Duderstadt resident explained to customers that he didn't have a website and that he would only offer his firewood via Facebook. This is how the fraud came to light. The man filed a complaint with the police about falsifying relevant data and goods fraud.
The investigators assume that previously unknown perpetrators created the fraudulent website using the Duderstadt resident's personal data published on the Facebook page. Further investigations into this are ongoing.
In this context, the police advise you to be particularly careful and give the following tips for more security when shopping online:
- No impulse purchases : Before you put a product in the shopping cart of an online shop, you should compare the price of the product with other providers and the local retailer. Because fraudsters lure their victims with low prices.
- Find out more : Enter the name of the online shop into a search engine, this way you can find out negative experiences from other customers and you don't have to rely on the promises of the shop operators. In many self-help forums you can also find out whether your chosen online retailer uses dubious business practices.
- Consumer advice center helps : At the consumer advice center you can find information about known dubious online retailers.
- Choose secure payment methods : Purchasing on account can protect against fraud by fake shops. However, transfers that have been made can only be reversed at short notice. With direct debit, debits can be canceled after a few days. When purchasing online, do not use payment services such as Western Union or paysafecard.
- Don't shop if you're in doubt : If you're unsure, it's best not to buy from your chosen shop at all. You should only purchase the product you want from a dealer you trust.
What to do if you are a victim of internet fraud?
If you have already transferred money for your purchase, contact your bank immediately to see whether you can reverse the payment. This is usually still possible within a certain period of time. For other payment methods (e.g. cash transfer), contact the service provider immediately and have them stop the transaction.
Save all evidence of your online purchase : Whether it's a purchase contract, order confirmation or emails, keep all evidence of your purchase. Print these out.
Report it to the police: With the documents secured, you should contact the police as soon as possible and file a criminal complaint. Even if it is difficult to prosecute perpetrators because they operate from abroad, you should not be dissuaded from filing a complaint. Only then can the deletions of fake shops be pushed forward consistently.
Source:
Press portal
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