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Crypto fraud in Villach: Woman loses thousands of euros through SMS trap!
A woman from Villach loses over ten thousand euros in a crypto scam. Police are investigating and warning of increasing fraud risks.
Crypto fraud in Villach: Woman loses thousands of euros through SMS trap!
The global increase in crypto fraud has also reached worrying levels in Villach. A local woman fell victim to a sophisticated scam and lost tens of thousands of euros. The report from Gailtal Journal According to her, on November 26, 2025, she received a text message informing her that an unknown person had access to her BITPANDA wallet.
Shortly afterwards, the injured party was contacted by telephone and asked to create a new crypto wallet at “SafePal – Crypto Wallet BTC NFT”. Your balance should be transferred to this new wallet. When she followed the instructions, a sum of tens of thousands of euros was debited from the new wallet. When the woman wanted to confront the perpetrator, he broke off contact. She then filed a police report.
Crypto fraud in an international context
Loud daily news Cryptocurrency fraud caused around 70 billion euros in damages worldwide. There are new victims every day, not only in Germany but also in other countries. The perpetrators use psychologically sophisticated methods and often work from regions with weak state surveillance. Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock points to systematic attacks and the use of artificial intelligence for deep fakes in fraud cases.
A particularly frightening example of the extent of these criminal activities is the method of “pig butchering”, in which fraudsters lure their victims with fake investment offers and then exploit them. Another example of a person affected is Abdus S. from Bangladesh, who was held captive as a cyber slave under extreme conditions in Cambodia.
Security risks with crypto wallets
The risks associated with crypto wallets increase the vulnerability to such fraud attempts. Information from Crypto safety first show that many fraudsters use phishing attacks and malicious smart contracts to gain access to crypto wallets. Users' direct control over their wallets, combined with a lack of fraud protection, can mean that funds, once compromised, are often irrevocably lost.
Fraudulent tactics often include fake recovery tools and compromised hardware wallets. Users must be aware of their responsibilities as there is no central authority that can challenge unauthorized transactions. The self-managing system of Web3 wallets makes them valuable but also vulnerable targets for cybercriminals.
The incidents in Villach are an alarming example of the growing problem of crypto fraud. Police and international authorities are working to combat crime, but protecting crypto investors remains a major challenge.