Fake stores lure victims with low heating oil and firewood prices
The NRW consumer advice center has tracked down a number of fake stores that promise cheap firewood and heating oil – but do not deliver.
(Image: Bild erstellt mit KI in Bing Designer durch heise online / dmk)
The North Rhine-Westphalia consumer advice center warns against new fake stores. These fraudulent online stores pretend to offer cheap firewood or heating oil. After payment, however, no delivery is made to the victim – and the money is lost.
In a recent press release, consumer protection organizations write that they have discovered several fraudulent websites. The first victims have reported that they almost fell victim to a scam. Specifically, a potential victim searching for cheap heating oil came across the website heiz-oel24.com, which offered "temptingly low prices".
Fraud scam with down payment
After requesting a quote, the victim was called back on a Berlin telephone number. The interested party would have to pay half the price in advance. After pointing out that such a deposit was unusual for heating oil orders, the fraudsters ended the call abruptly. Investigations revealed that the store was hosted in Russia. It was merely one of many currently advertising heating oil or firewood. The approaching fall traditionally marks the start of the heating season, when many people stock up on fuel for the cold season.
Fake stores take advantage of this by offering low prices for the goods in demand. These stores looked similar to those of reputable suppliers and appeared authentic at first glance. On closer inspection, however, inconsistencies became apparent, such as a missing legal notice or fictitious seals of approval. The NRW consumer advice center also provides a list of currently active fake stores:
- fast-oil24.de
- fast-heizoel.de
- heiz-oel24.com
- heizoel-24.com
- heizoel-profi.com
- simaholz.com
- bitecbrennstoffe.de
Interested parties should refrain from ordering from these sites, which are classified as fraudulent. In general, conspicuously cheap products on offer should arouse suspicion. The first step is to check the online store before placing an order using the fake store finder from the consumer advice centers.
After that, potential buyers should carry out further checks: Are there several, customer-friendly payment methods or is there only prepayment left at the end? Reputable websites have a provider address in the legal notice that is also plausible. Another important sign of a genuine offer is whether all the necessary details are included and the price is correctly marked.
Inadequate presentation of delivery conditions and costs are a warning sign, as are missing terms and conditions with information on withdrawal. Trustworthy seals of approval are "Trusted Shop Guarantee" (Trusted Shops), "s@fer-shopping" (TÜV Süd) and "Geprüfter Onlineshop EHI" (EHI Retail Institute GmbH). In the event of discrepancies, prospective customers should look for another store to order from and not succumb to the temptation of an exceptionally low price.
Fake stores appear again and again. They usually try to exploit current events or seasonal desires. The bait is always a low price. During the European Football Championship 2024, for example, there were an increasing number of fake stores that offered supposedly cheap fan merchandise but never delivered it after payment.
(dmk)