Domain auction

The dangerous game with Benko’s e-mail addresses

Signa founder Benko: all domains go under the hammer.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/EXPA/APA/picturedesk.com)

Following the billion-euro bankruptcy of Signa Holding, the insolvency administrator is putting brands and domains on the market. The auction runs until January 16. However, experts warn of a considerable risk of abuse and fraud.

Have you always wanted to have access to the domains of the Signa Group? Perhaps play a little mischief and write apologies at the e-mail address [e-mail] or [e-mail], for example to banks or other creditors who had to pay bitterly for the biggest bankruptcy in European post-war history?

Nine brands, 231 domains
If so, there is still the opportunity to take part in an online auction until 9 a.m. on January 16. Following the billion-euro bankruptcy, the trustee in bankruptcy of Signa Holding is currently putting nine brands and 231 domains of the financially ailing group on the market, including signa.at, signa.de and signa.finance. The starting price in mid-December was 5,000 euros; as of December 29, the current highest bid is 14,800 euros.

IT experts were now of the opinion that the sale of domains such as signa.at or signa.de during ongoing insolvency proceedings poses a considerable risk of abuse, identity fraud and misleading banks, courts and creditors. This is because a domain is not just a web address, but also the basis for e-mail communication. Anyone who owns the domain can send emails that look as if they come directly from Signa.

"Risk for legal transactions"
 "It is technically child's play to create email addresses such as [e-mail], [e-mail] or [e-mail]. For banks or authorities, it is not obvious at first glance that this communication is not legitimate," explains an IT expert. The potential for abuse is real: "This is not about a technical detail, but about a risk to legal transactions and creditor protection."

At the beginning of 2024, just a few weeks after the collapse of Signa Holding, the trustee in bankruptcy put all Signa insignia from the former offices in Vienna's inner-city palace up for auction. However, there was hardly any risk of misuse in the sale of toilet brushes, doormats or Signa snow globes - at most the risk of misuse.