Thousands of euros in losses

Nasty fraud trap: man lured with cheap loan

In the current economic situation, the relatively high interest rates on loans are doubly painful - especially if you urgently need a loan. Research on the Internet can help, but fraudsters are lying in wait.

At the end of February, a 55-year-old man from the Völkermarkt district went looking for attractive loan conditions on the internet and came across a reputable-looking online bank. "He wanted to take out a loan of several thousand euros with this bank," reports the police. "He was subsequently induced to make several transfers to foreign accounts."

Whether taxes, commissions (including "refundable" ones) or other fees - the "bank" demanded more and more transfers in order to pay out the loan. "When these 'fees' finally amounted to almost twice the requested loan amount, he became suspicious and filed a complaint," said the police. But by then the loss of several thousand euros had already been incurred, and the 55-year-old will probably be left holding the bag.