Online fraud in the district: consumers lose thousands of euros!

Online fraud in the district: consumers lose thousands of euros!

In recent days there has been a worrying increase in online fraud cases in the Donau-Ries district. On June 16, 2025, several citizens filed a report with the Donauwörth police station due to dubious transactions that offered anything but the promised shopping experience. What's particularly frightening is that the fraudsters' approach is becoming increasingly sophisticated and is leaving many consumers perplexed.

A woman from Tapfheim wanted to buy a pair of branded shoes privately on a popular clothing platform. She paid almost 175 euros in advance for her anticipation. But the joy was short-lived because the shoes didn't come. She then filed a criminal complaint for goods fraud, whereby the fraudsters used fake personal information in order to attract attention.

Fraud with great financial loss

Another incident involved a man from a nearby Ries community who fell for a nasty scam when purchasing a riding lawn mower. With a transfer of almost 2,000 euros, he thought he was getting a bargain. He didn't realize until much too late that it was a fake shop. Such experiences are by no means an isolated case, as almost one in four people in Germany has already experienced online fraud. This was the result of a survey commissioned by Schufa, according to which 24 percent of respondents stated that they themselves or someone close to them had become a victim.

The extent of the financial damage is alarming. Victims of fraud often suffer triple-digit losses, but significant amounts of up to several thousand euros are also common. According to feedback from those affected, over 60 percent of fraud cases occur in fake shops that either do not deliver any goods or send inferior products. In around 67 percent of cases, the damage was less than 1,000 euros. But this is also often a bitter blow for those affected.

How do consumers protect themselves?

In such uncertain times, many are wondering how they can effectively protect themselves from online fraud. The consumer advice center offers support with advice via 0900 numbers, with calls lasting around six minutes and a flat rate of around 13.70 euros per connection. The tips for safety on the Internet are particularly helpful. This includes using secure passwords and protecting your own data from unauthorized access. Nevertheless, 60 percent of those affected say that fraud predominantly takes place on websites.

In addition, surveys show that sensitive data such as passwords, banking and personal information often fall into the wrong hands during cybercrime, which further exacerbates the social problem. German society is called upon to be vigilant, especially when shopping online, to avoid falling into the clutches of fraudsters.

Overall, it remains to be hoped that through mindfulness and education like this Donauwörth police station and the Consumer advice center offer, the trend of online fraud can be curbed. Ultimately, all consumers can do is use common sense and remain critical - because better safe than sorry.

The developments in the area of ​​online fraud and the associated dangers are an issue that affects us all. Finally, a word of caution: Be careful when surfing and shopping online! This is the only way to protect yourself from the nasty tricks of online fraudsters.