help – the Ö1 consumer magazine
28. September 2024, 11:40
If you have water damage or the heating fails on weekends or public holidays, you need help from a professional quickly. But not all emergency craftsman services work fairly. You should be particularly careful with the first-ranked companies in search engines such as Google. They often turn out to be dubious, demand completely inflated prices for poor work and pressure their customers to pay immediately. This was also the case with a help listener who had bad experiences with a plumber from the 14th district in Vienna.
Phishing: The still underestimated danger
Phishing is the interception of personal information such as credit card information or passwords, usually with the intention of scamming victims out of their money. Although the phenomenon is not new, the potential danger posed by this form of cybercrime is continually increasing. Virtually all internet fraud today is based on phishing, says the head of the Internet Watchlist, Torsten Behrens. Criminals’ methods are becoming more and more sophisticated. In addition to the classic attacks using email and SMS, attacks can now also be carried out via manipulated QR codes or social networks. Nowadays, a phishing attack can also begin in an analog mailbox, for example in the form of an alleged letter from the bank.
Almost all methods have one thing in common. Victims are lured to fake websites to enter data, which then ends up directly with the fraudsters. You should always take a closer look at email addresses and web domains before entering such information or even approving payments. In general, you should not allow yourself to be disturbed by requests that come via SMS or email. The lurking danger should always be kept in mind, even if you may have already gotten used to it given the numerous phishing warnings. Because the criminals now have a suitable trap ready for everyone, says Watchlist Internet boss Behrens.
Design: Paul Urban Blaha
Paid 30,000 euros for additional health insurance “pointlessly”.
On the day of her birth in 1977, the father of a help listener from Vienna took out additional health insurance for her with Uniqa. In 2009, the Viennese woman accepted a job offer in Spain and from that point on was no longer covered by social security in Austria. She reported this to her insurance company and asked whether she should change her insurance because of her stay abroad. For 15 years, she was able to claim benefits with her existing insurance in Spain, such as doctor’s visits, medication or new glasses.
After her first stay in a public hospital in Spain, she asked her Uniqa advisor in April this year whether she could use her additional insurance to visit private hospitals in the future. He replied that without Austrian social security, the part of their insurance that covers hospital costs would be “pointless.” Without compulsory insurance in Austria, she would only benefit from any part of the insurance that includes outpatient services. Over the course of 15 years, the consumer believes she has paid around 30,000 euros in premiums for the hospital part of her insurance for free.
Design: Jonathan Scheucher
Editor: Matthias Däuble
Moderation: Beate Macura, Paul Urban Blaha
Service
Articles from the last broadcasts, consumer news, latest test results, tips, contact addresses, consumer links, etc. can be found in help.ORF.at
