Beware of Scammers
How can you recognize fraudulent websites (scam websites)?
When you surf the internet, you may have noticed that some websites appear less trustworthy than others. Already a large number of news portals such as the Verbraucherzentrale Baden-Württemberg (01.07.2025), the Allgäuer Zeitung (11.06.2025), the Tagesschau (20.05.2025) and BR24 (12.04.2025) have reported on the danger of scam websites and specifically pointed out fraud when purchasing vignettes. We would like to give you tips on how to recognize fraudulent websites so that you don't fall into the trap of scammers and lose money.
Take a closer look at the website's links (URLs)
As soon as you visit a website that you don't know yet and that is advertising products for sale, you should check the URL. Pay attention to whether the link contains unusual characters or spelling mistakes.
Cheap doesn't mean trustworthy
Who doesn't know it? When we surf the internet, we usually try to grab a bargain. But cheap doesn't always mean trustworthy. The desire for a bargain price is often exploited by scammers. That's why you should be particularly careful if the product is offered at a comparatively low price. There have already been several incidents where people bought an invalid vignette and ultimately had to pay the fine for not having a vignette.
Payment methods
You should also see it as a warning sign if only advance payment is accepted as a payment method. This is because reputable shops usually offer a variety of payment methods, such as payment by credit card and PayPal, where buyer protection applies. In addition, you should never carelessly give out personal data such as credit card numbers, passwords or TANs.
Legal notice (imprint)
You should pay special attention to the legal notice and take a closer look at it. A reputable website always has a legal notice with contact details. This includes the name of the managing director, the company's address, a phone number or email address, as well as the entry in the commercial register.
Checking the contact details
Prevention is better than cure! If you're on a website that seems rather untrustworthy to you, you shouldn't just read the legal notice, but also check the details. Use the address given to check whether the company really exists.
Trustworthy seals
Reputable websites often use trustworthy seals to build trust. Untrustworthy sites also use this approach, but use fake seals. That's why, for websites that have a seal, you should still check the other criteria. A seal doesn't automatically mean a website is secure.
Finally: the general impression
In addition to all these points, you should of course also let the general impression of the website sink in. Do the articles or product information contain spelling mistakes or even grammatically incorrect sentences? Do the texts seem professional, or are the sentences just strung together?
Tip: Take action
If, during your internet research, you come across a scam website and the points mentioned apply, don't hesitate to report this website to the consumer advice centre. This way, you also protect unsuspecting people from fraud.
You can trust us!
Use our tips to protect yourself when shopping online. Of course, you can also apply this check to us, and you'll see that we're definitely a trustworthy site. With us, you're on the safe side!
Purchase your digital vignette for your next trip from us now. You can find more information on tolls and the corresponding vignettes in our guide. You can also use our route planner to better plan your trip and see the associated toll products. If you have any questions, we're happy to help. Contact us via our email.
Here you'll find the links to the news portals
If you'd like to learn more about scam websites in order to better recognize their characteristics, you can find the websites mentioned above here:
Verbraucherzentrale Baden-Württemberg (01.07.2025)
Allgäuer Zeitung (11.06.2025)
Tagesschau (20.05.2025)
BR24 (12.04.2025)
