According to a phishing report

SPÖ wants banks to foot the bill in fraud cases

State Secretary Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig (SPÖ) wants stricter monitoring.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Max Slovencik, who is danny -stock.adobe.com)

Austria’s first report on phishing fraud shows: Cases are on the rise, victims are mostly women—and banks vary in their willingness to cooperate. A total of 717 cases have been documented since 2023. The majority of victims are female—and over 50 years old. SPÖ State Secretary Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig is calling for stricter protective measures.

A fake text message from a supposed bank. A deceptively genuine link. Anyone who lets their guard down for even a moment often finds themselves looking at an empty—or emptier—bank account shortly thereafter. On average, victims in Austria lose 4,333 euros in such phishing scams—in the worst documented cases, even over 20,000 euros. All of this is revealed in the phishing report published for the first time by State Secretary Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig (SPÖ). However, the report also shows that those who fight back get their money back.

717 identified victims, 1.5 million euros returned
Since January 2023, the Ministry has been operating the Ombudsman’s Office for Payment Problems—free of charge, easily accessible, and effective. 717 affected individuals have come forward since then. In two out of three cases, money was returned—money that many had long since written off. Of the known complaints, 76 percent led to direct intervention with the bank.