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All reporting bodies

Fake shop fraud: reporting in Austria

In Austria, online reports are currently only possible for theft. You report fake shop fraud in person at a police station; every station accepts it. You can additionally report the shop to Watchlist Internet.

No, report in person to the police

Open the official site

Polizeiinspektion vor Ort; Meldung bei Watchlist Internet

System
Report in person at any police station; online reports only for theft
Identification
Bring official photo ID to the police station.
After submitting
The Federal Criminal Police Office’s cybercrime reporting point ([email protected]) accepts tips but not criminal complaints.
Emergency
Police emergency 133, European emergency number 112

The link leads to the authority’s official page. Fakeshop AI is not an authority and forwards nothing.

How reporting works in Austria

  1. Bank or payment provider first

    That is where the deadlines run, and the only place to get money back.

    Deadlines and templates for your bank
  2. Gather your evidence

    Order confirmation, proof of payment, screenshots of the shop and the message history.

  3. Choose a reporting route

    Here, the report and the notification go through separate bodies. The channels are listed below.

  4. Keep the confirmation and reference number

    The reference number helps you with your bank and payment provider.

Specifics in Austria

  • Watchlist Internet and the Fake-Shop Detector (fakeshop.at) are run by the Austrian Institute for Applied Telecommunications (ÖIAT).
  • The Upper Austria Chamber of Labour writes about fake shops: if you paid in advance, the money is usually lost. That makes your bank and the police report all the more important.
  • The Internet Ombudsstelle is a state-recognised consumer dispute resolution body and helps free of charge with problems with contracts concluded online.

Report and notification

Watchlist Internet: Fake-Shop meldenSend the link and a description, up to three files. The team reviews the report and decides whether to write an anonymised article about it.Meldestelle für Internetkriminalität (Bundeskriminalamt)For quick tips on cybercrime by email. A criminal complaint is not possible this way.

What to have ready

For the report, whether online or in person, this list helps.

  • Your personal details: first name, surname, address, date of birth, contact details.
  • What you know about the other party: shop address, company name from the imprint, email, phone number, recipient IBAN.
  • The course of events with dates: order, payment, contact with the shop, contact with your bank.
  • Evidence as files: screenshots, PDF of the shop pages, order confirmation, proof of payment, email thread.
  • What your bank or payment provider has said so far, with dates.
Checklist and statement template to copy

Austria compared with its neighbours

Even close to a border, your place of residence counts. The table shows where form, ID requirement and language differ.

StateReport online shopping fraud onlineID requiredLanguagesPortal
Austria

No, report in person to the police

Yes, photo ID in personNot statedPolizeiinspektion vor Ort; Meldung bei Watchlist Internet
Bayern

Only online auction fraud, no form for fake shops

Not relevant for fake shopsGermanAnzeigeerstattung Online der Bayerischen Polizei
Switzerland

Depending on canton, via Suisse ePolice

Depends on cantonSuisse ePolice: German, French, ItalianSuisse ePolice; Kantonspolizei

Advice and other bodies

Internet OmbudsstelleFree dispute resolution for online contracts.Arbeiterkammer: KonsumentenschutzConsumer advice from the Chambers of Labour.Verein für Konsumenteninformation (VKI)Information, advice and intervention for consumers.

Sources · checked on 2 October 2026

Independent consumer information, not legal advice. Authorities change forms and addresses; the linked official page is authoritative.

Dennis Bölling, Founder · QAD SoftUpdated