Too good to be true – Facebook scam: wood and pellets at cheap prices

250 euros for a ton of pellets, 50 euros for a cubic meter of beech wood: in times of rising prices and the energy crisis, that sounds incredibly tempting. But as the Federal Criminal Investigation Service warns in a broadcast: “If an offer is too good to be true, it usually is.” The order quantities offered usually start with two cubic meters of wood for about 100 euros and a pallet of pellets (70 bags of pellets each 15 kilos) for 250 euros.

With free shipping and volume discounts for larger quantities, the scammers entice them to get even more out of their victims. The bottom line: “Delivered” is only after the payment is made and after a few days the “suppliers” disappear from Facebook again.

Vigilant “Krone” readers didn’t fall into the trap
Anyone who refuses to make a deposit or negotiate will be quickly blocked by scammers. “I have offered the seller that I will pay everything as soon as the goods are at my door,” reports a “Krone” reader. “At first he refused completely and tried to convince me by giving his address and an alleged ID card. Then after a while he offered me that I only had to pay half of the deposit.” When he also refused, the fraudster broke off all contact.

So beware of cheap offers on Facebook and in general on the Internet and when in doubt, do not pay advances. You can recognize the scammers by the incredibly cheap offers and the fact that their profiles are usually only recently created and are completely empty except for the profile and title picture.