Chronicle
Second-hand sites like Winded are full of scammers. A young woman from Vorarlberg recently debited 2,400 euros from her credit card. She will not get the money back.
The woman from Vorarlberg knew that payments should only be made via the Winded platform. But minutes after her first outfits went online, she reportedly received a message via Vindette's chat. However, this is not the real chat of the trading platform. That was the first trap she fell into.
Online trading platform Winded Users can exchange, sell or give away second-hand clothes, accessories and cosmetics.
Fake QR code
The scammers followed this chat very professionally and included information about the payment procedure. A QR code with the Vinted logo was sent to the girl in the chat. She scanned this and fell into the second trap. She was asked to provide her credit card information – on the basis that it would authorize a credit card for Windet. When he confirmed the issue of the credit card with a 3D security password, the first 700 euros had already been debited. But the girl did not notice anything.
A credit card limit is protected against excessive damage
When she got a message saying that the security TAN has expired and she needs to issue a new one, she sent a message through chat saying she couldn't believe it. Unfortunately she got an immediate response that this was a frequent occurrence with Windet and that it was a technical fault. You have to apply for a new TAN and provide it.
Next 700 Euros were debited with this new TAN. The whole thing was repeated and another 999 euros was charged. A total of 2,400 euros. Fortunately, the woman's credit card limit reached this amount.
Once the fraudsters realize that there is no more money, they immediately delete the chat. The credit card company relies on two-factor security and therefore excludes refunds.
Recommendations of the Criminal Police
- Do not follow links or open unknown email attachments
- Never give out personal information or access codes over the phone or email – No reputable banking institution will ever ask for personal information over email.
- Always open your online banking through a web browser
- Protect your passwords! If possible, don't use the same password for multiple services
- If you are not sure whether you provided a password, change the password first and report the process to the website operator or your bank.
