Experts warn

Easy money on the Internet is usually a fraud trap

There are many dangers lurking on the internet, including from fraudsters (symbolic image)

(Bild: Annette Riedl / dpa / picturedesk.com)

Experts from the Upper Austrian Criminal Police Office advise: Hands off easy extra earnings as product testers, and be careful when buying and selling on the Internet. Some scams are still mainly aimed at older people, while others target young people.

You want to make money?" Or: "Are you looking for an easy extra income from your computer?" Ads like these are currently popping up a lot more on social media. "The jobs are often vague, or they are looking for product testers," says Stephanie Berger from Crime Prevention at the Upper Austrian Criminal Police Office. "If you click on the ads, you are taken to criminal sites, asked to join chat groups or download apps."

Many are distracted
Victims are first lured with small cash payments, then payments or all account access data are requested. "It usually affects younger victims. Many are distracted, have time pressure and are short of money," says Berger. What should you do if you notice the mistake? "Block the account at the bank immediately, stop what you can and then take the chats to the police," advises the expert.

Large wave of fraud attacks
Gerald Sakoparnig, fraud expert at the LKA, also knows that fraud comes in all shapes and sizes. "At the weekend, there was another big wave of 'fake police officers' with more than 100 attacks in the Linz area," says Sakoparnig. Alleged repayments or emails in the name of police officers claiming to know that they had consumed child abuse material are also common at the moment. In the near future, tax reconciliation, overly cheap vacation offers and concert tickets will follow.

Beware of online stores
The expert also warns against online stores, especially used goods platforms: "Many people don't know how the payment and escrow functions of the sites work and therefore fall victim to fraudsters. You have to inform yourself well, do business calmly and learn a healthy distrust."