400,000 euros gone

Scammers lure victims into traps with “celebrity bonuses”

Armin Assinger was misused as "bait" by the fraudsters

(Bild: ORF)

The names used to advertise these scams sound good, but the celebrities are only being used by fraudsters to lure victims into a financial trap. Unfortunately, it works again and again and within a few days Upper Austrians lost 400,000 euros to the crooks, who are based somewhere abroad.

"If you want to be just as successful, come to our side!" With celebrities such as Armin Assinger (pictured), Bill Gates, Dietrich Mateschitz and Mirjam Weichselbraun, brazen fraudsters are currently luring money out of the pockets of unsuspecting victims.

Awakening after making money
After registering, you receive a call from a supposed stock market expert. On the virtual account, you can see how your money increases practically overnight. But then comes the rude awakening: suddenly the money is gone and no one can reach it! This is how two Upper Austrians lost huge sums of money this week: One victim is €300,000 poorer, another €100,000. And they were not the first victims - the total sum of the loot in Upper Austria alone is around one million euros!