The Rhine Railway unequivocally does not offer six-month travel passes for the price of 2.35 euros.
In a recent investigation, it has been revealed that a global network of over 1,000 fake Facebook pages, posing as local public transport operators in more than 60 countries, is run by the APT-Group called "GhostEmperor". This group specializes in creating deceptive infrastructure for cyber operations.
One such instance was discovered in Düsseldorf, Germany, where a fraudulent Facebook page imitating the local transport company, Rheinbahn, was found. The page, named "ÖPNV Düsseldorf", was created on June 30, 2025, less than two weeks before the first fraudulent post was published.
The fake post, which circulated via Facebook ads between July 2nd and 16th, targeted people in the Düsseldorf area, offering a ticket deal of 6 months unlimited trips for just 2.35 €. However, it is important to note that this offer is not available for purchase from Rheinbahn.
Users should be wary of providing personal data such as credit card numbers on the suspicious website linked in the post. It is crucial to remember that the website is not affiliated with the official Rheinbahn website (rheinbahn.de). Moreover, no ticket is actually sent to users who follow the steps on the suspicious website.
The official Facebook page of Rheinbahn, with over 47,000 followers, stands in stark contrast to the suspicious page, which has only 10. The lack of followers on the fraudulent page is a clear indicator of its illegitimacy.
The operators of these pages make an effort to give the posts on Facebook reach and credibility, but it is highly likely that many accounts commenting are not real people. These fake accounts often state in their profiles that they live abroad, such as in Ukraine, and follow numerous other fake transport operators in different locations.
CORRECTIV, a German fact-checking organization, has been in cooperation with the Facebook company Meta since 2017 to combat misinformation on the social network. Similarly, the Spanish fact-checking organization Maldita has conducted investigations into fraudulent Facebook pages in Spain and the global network of fraudulent pages.
In July 2025, Maldita reported on the methods of the fraudsters behind similar Facebook pages. The organization found more than 1,000 Facebook pages imitating local transport providers worldwide. These ads often active for only a few hours before being turned off, but in the meantime, they reached hundreds of users.
It is essential to remain vigilant and verify information before sharing it or providing personal details. The official Rheinbahn celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2021, not its 25th as claimed in the fraudulent post. Always ensure to check the authenticity of the source and the accuracy of the information.
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