It’s a campaign that at first glance looks like it could be real: Posters have appeared at several bus stops in Berlin and other cities advertising an alleged “zero-euro ticket” for local transport. A website is referred to. The site also looks official:
At the top left is a logo that looks like it comes from the Federal Ministry of Transport. “Federal Ministry for Digitization and Transport Transition” is written there next to a black, red and gold bar and a federal eagle. In fact, the department of Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) is officially only called “Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport” – without “Wende”.
Everything else on the website looks as if Wissing’s ministry had put it online itself. If you click on the link to the imprint, you will end up on the real website of the Ministry of Transport, the telephone number for queries also leads to the real press office of the ministry. Wissing and his two colleagues, Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) and Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) are also said to be quoted on the site. Wissing is said to have said: “We are pleased to be able to announce that public transport will be free for all citizens of Germany from September 1st.” A typo at the beginning of the alleged quote should be suspicious.
But the fake site is otherwise well done. A “FAQ” section answers questions about the alleged ticket:
How long is the ticket valid? – Continuous.
Why do you even need a ticket when driving is free? – User behavior should be observed.
And where do you get the free ticket? This is where the dizziness could fly up most easily. Because on the page it says: “The ticket is available from the transport associations and from Deutsche Bahn – as usual via the machines, counters and their apps.” Anyone who asks there should quickly notice that there is no zero-euro ticket are.
However, the FAQs also say: “The ticket is also available as a download on this website.” In fact, there is a link on the website that says: “Generate a free ticket”. Clicking on it opens a PDF document that looks like a digital Deutsche Bahn ticket.
The ticket looks confusingly similar to the company’s usual tickets, and the DB logo is also used at the top. There is even the typical QR code that is normally used to check the validity of the ticket on the train. If you scan the code, you land on another website that says: “Your ticket is valid”.
The fake site is already known at Deutsche Bahn. “We ask for your understanding that we do not want to comment on this action,” says a spokeswoman. The company also does not answer the question of whether the group wants to take action against the operators of the wrong site and what happens if passengers show up on the train with the counterfeit ticket. “In general, DB is in favor of creating an attractive and simple offer for all public transport nationwide.”
The Federal Ministry of Transport is monosyllabic: The website is known to the ministry, says a spokeswoman. There is no connection between the site and the ministry. The answer to the question of whether the ministry will take action against the operator is curious: “No, we’ll leave that to the judiciary,” said the spokeswoman. It was initially unclear whether the ministry had filed a complaint.
It is unclear who is behind the site. An e-mail request initially went unanswered on Wednesday afternoon. The campaign and the website are distributed, among other things, by Telegram accounts that were connected to the organizers of the anti-car protests before the last International Motor Show (IAA).
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