Toll sticker scammers lure people to support good cause

Unofficial sellers have higher prices.

By: spectator.sme.sk

Jun 17 2024
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Toll sticker scammers lure peo

A dubious website based in the Czech Republic has appeared in Slovakia, selling toll stickers at higher prices and allegedly planting trees to help save the planet.

"With every toll sticker purchased from us, you contribute to the planting of trees and thereby help protect the environment," claims the seller. According to the website skznamka.sk, 30 percent of profits will be allocated to planting trees.

Several websites such as this one have recently sprung up across the central European region, profiting from the inattention of customers who did not realise they had bought the sticker from an unofficial website.

The website skznamka.sk appears similar to the official website eznamka.sk. Further down the page it states that the seller is an intermediary. Provided links that should redirect readers to data regarding the planting of trees do not work. When Sme daily contacted the seller about the data, it received no reply before the deadline.

The website is operated by the company Co2 offset based in Prague. It also operates a website selling toll stickers for the Czech Republic and Austria.

While a year-long sticker in Slovakia officially costs €60, the seller offers it at €69. When it comes to Austria, the official price is €96.40, while the unofficial is €115.40. In the case of Czechia, the sticker is sold at 2,300 crowns, but the seller asks for 2,500 crowns.

Several complaints about the website operator can be found, with clients claiming that the sticker they bought online is invalid or non-functional. The company denies requests for refunds.

Some time ago, the Slovak National Highway Company (NDS) requested that the Czech police investigates the company.

So far, the website continues to operate. Moreover, they pay to appear in the top positions of Internet search engines.

According to Sme daily, the list of websites to be avoided when buying toll stickers include vintrica.com, dialnicnaznamkarakusko.sk, digitale-vignette-online.at and evignet24.eu.