Overview
- Volkswagen issued a public alert naming fake domains and phone numbers tied to a scam that targets people shopping for used cars online.
- Fraudsters advertise bargain Golfs and Tiguans on convincing websites and in printed catalogs across Germany, Austria and Switzerland to trigger deposits or full payments for cars that do not exist.
- VW states that it never sells directly to end customers online, so any supposed factory offer for a used vehicle is not an authorized sales channel.
- The forged materials copy VW branding, use look‑alike email addresses and Wolfsburg phone numbers, and list sham bank accounts, with examples including volkswagen-fahrzeuge.de and 05361 309 30140.
- VW urges victims to contact police immediately, and Chip reports the cited sites are now offline, though copycat pages tend to reappear, so buyers should verify URLs and refuse advance transfers.