Scam with supposed KGE registration – beware of fake emails that deceive you with an invoice.

Our cooperation partner Watchlist Internet is currently receiving frequent reports of fraudulent emails with fake invoices from “Austria IT”, “Vicca Security” and “Online Service Support”. The fraudsters contact companies and send an invoice for an alleged domain registration. However, the victims tell us that they never gave such an order. Ignore the email and definitely do not pay!

“You will hereby receive your invoice for the KGE registration,” the fraudulent email states. KGE stands for “commercial intellectual property rights”, as is described in more detail in the attached fake invoice. At first glance the email seems serious, but don't let that intimidate you.

These emails are scams!

Numerous Austrian entrepreneurs are currently reporting to us the following fraudulent emails sent by “Vicca Security”, “Austria IT” or “Online Service Support”:

Dear [YOUR NAME]

You will hereby receive your invoice for the KGE registration of [YOUR DOMAIN]. You can find this in the appendix. We would like the invoice amount within 14 days, stating the invoice number 21701696.

We would like to point out that the transfer must be made within the payment term of 14 days, this is in connection with our current rules on intellectual property registration. Consider your bank's processing time.

If you have any questions about the invoice or are unable to pay it on time and/or in full, please contact customer service before the payment term expires.

Best regards

Austria IT
Prager Str. 191,
04317 Leipzig
Germany
+31 85 3035593
info@austria-it.
net www.austria-it.
net NL003188238B83
77670582

Depending on who the email comes from, there will be different information at the end of the email as well as some errors in the email:

Dear [YOUR NAME],

You will hereby receive your invoice for the =KGE registration of [YOUR DOMAIN]. You can find this in the appendix. We would like to receive the invoice amount within 14 days, stating the invoice number 21704477.

We would like to point out that the transfer must be made within the payment period of 14 days, this is in connection with our applicable rules for the registration of intellectual property. Take the processing time of your bank into account.

If you have any questions about the invoice or are unable to pay it on time and/or in full, please contact customer service before the payment term expires.

= Kind regards

Online servi=e support
Prager Str. 191,
04317 Leipzig
Germany
+31 85 3033366
info@onlineservicesupport.
net =ww.onlineservicesupport.
net NL003145140B62
76936643

or

Dear [YOUR NAME]

You will hereby receive your invoice for the KGE registration of [YOUR DOMAIN].
You can find this in the appendix. We would like to pay the invoice amount within 14 days, stating the invoice number 21701696. We would like to point out that the transfer must be made within the payment term of 14 days, this is in connection with our applicable rules for the registration of intellectual property.üPlease take into account the processing time of your Bank.

If you have any questions about the invoice or are unable to pay it on time and/or in full, please contact customer service before the payment term expires.

With kind regards

Vicca security
Prager Str. 191,
04317 Leipzig
Germany
+31 85 3035593
info@vicca-security.
com www.vicca-security.
com NL003145140B62
77918290

True information, false allegations

The recipients are addressed with their correct names in the fraudulent email, and other details such as the domain, company name and address also match the correct data of the company concerned. Don't let this fool you, companies are required to provide this information on their website. This makes it easy for fraudsters to get the data.

[mk_ad]

All of this information about the company can also be found in the attached invoice. The charges are 277.98 euros (invoice from Austria IT), 183.74 euros (invoice from Vicca Security) or 322.54 euros (invoice from Online Service Support).

Even if the information about your company is correct, you should not pay this fraudulent invoice!
Even if the information about your company is correct, you should not pay this fraudulent invoice!

Under no circumstances should you pay this amount. Since you have not placed an order with “Austria IT”, “Vicca Security” or “Online Service Support”, there is no legal basis for the claim.

Many fraudulent companies send similar emails

According to our research, the companies “Austria IT”, “Vicca Security” and “Online Service Support” are not the only fake companies that send such invoices. The following companies send emails with the same or similar wording:

  • BNP agency
  • Commercial Domain Agency
  • DME
  • DPC
  • EDR
  • EPC
  • Europe ITO
  • German Domain & Trademark Office
  • Intellectual Property Bureau
  • Intellectual Rights Center
  • IPA
  • IR Center
  • Network support
  • Online Patent Agency
  • Patent Management Center
  • Patent Protection Bureau
  • TMM
  • TIS customer service
  • Trademark EDC
  • Trademark Management Center
  • TT Center

The same address is always found in the email:

Mainzer Landstrasse 50
60325 Frankfurt am Main
Germany

or

Prager Str. 191
04317 Leipzig
Germany

A Dutch telephone number and a Dutch tax number are also used. Some of the companies also have a website, which again has a Dutch address, the telephone number and email are the same on every page - as is the look of the different websites:

Three different web addresses, but three times the same imprint.
Three different web addresses, but three times the same imprint.

How to expose dubious invoices

Ask yourself the following questions to expose dubious invoices:

  • Are there contradictions? As we have shown, there are numerous contradictions about the various fake companies. The fraudulent companies are allegedly based in Germany, but their telephone number and tax number are in the Netherlands. At the same time, the invoices are sent to Austrian companies. The name “Austria IT” also gives the impression that it is an Austrian company. So many contradictions are a warning signal!
  • Did I even use the claimed service? The recipients of these fake invoices did register a domain at some point, but that was a long time ago and the registration was also carried out by another company. So the claim can't be right at all.
  • Does the company from which the invoice comes even exist ? If you receive an invoice from an unknown company, search for it online. For example, you can search for the company, individual sentences in the email, the requested amount or the address. You often come across warning messages or can quickly see that the company doesn't even exist!

If you have already paid the bill, contact your bank and try to get the transferred money back. You can claim that the email is misleading because it simulates an open invoice.

You might also be interested in: Emails with fake domain invoices in circulation

Source: Watchlist Internet
Article image: Shutterstock / By SaskiaAcht
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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 )