Beware of scammers!
How Can You Identify Fraudulent Websites (Scam Websites)?
While browsing the internet, you may have already noticed that some websites appear significantly less trustworthy than others. A number of reputable 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 already reported on the dangers of scam websites and warned in particular about fraud when purchasing vignettes. Below you will find tips on how to identify fraudulent websites in order to avoid financial losses.
Check Website Links (URLs) Carefully
When visiting a website you are not yet familiar with that offers products or services, you should first carefully check the URL. Pay particular attention to unusual characters, additional words, or spelling mistakes in the web address.
Cheap Does Not Automatically Mean Trustworthy
Attractive prices may seem tempting, but they are often deliberately used by scammers. Be especially cautious if a product is offered significantly cheaper than by other providers. In the past, there have been multiple cases where travellers purchased invalid vignettes and subsequently had to pay fines.
Scrutinise Payment Methods
Another warning sign is when only advance payment is offered as a payment method. Reputable online shops generally offer several payment options, such as credit card or PayPal, which provide buyer protection. Also, never carelessly share sensitive data such as credit card numbers, passwords, or TANs.
Check the Legal Notice
A trustworthy website always has a complete legal notice with clear contact details. These include, among other things, the name of the person responsible, the company address, an email address or phone number, and, where applicable, a commercial register entry.
Verify Contact Details
If in doubt, it is advisable to verify the information provided in the legal notice. For example, use the given address to check whether the company actually exists. This is often a quick way to unmask untrustworthy providers.
Assess Trust Seals Correctly
Many reputable websites use well-known trust seals. However, fraudulent sites also make use of fake seals. Therefore, always check the other criteria as well, since a seal alone is no guarantee of trustworthiness.
The Overall Impression of the Website
In addition to the points mentioned above, the general impression also plays an important role. If there are numerous spelling mistakes, unclear wording, or texts that appear unprofessional, caution is advised. Reputable providers generally place great importance on linguistic and content quality.
Tip: Take Action
If you come across a suspected scam website during your research, you should report it to the consumer advice centre. In doing so, you help protect other users from fraud.
You Can Trust Us
Use the tips mentioned above to make your online purchases safe. Of course, you are also welcome to apply these criteria to our offering and verify our trustworthiness for yourself. Feel free to visit Trustpilot and get an impression of our reliability based on reviews from other customers.
Purchase your digital vignette for your next trip conveniently online. Further information on tolls and the corresponding vignettes can be found in our guide. In addition, our route planner helps you plan your trip optimally. If you have any questions, we are of course happy to help. Contact us at any time by email.
Links to Further News Portals
If you would like to find out more about scam websites, here is an overview of the reports mentioned:
Verbraucherzentrale Baden-Württemberg (01.07.2025)
Allgäuer Zeitung (11.06.2025)
Tagesschau (20.05.2025)
BR24 (12.04.2025)
