{"id":1804,"date":"2026-10-09T18:59:48","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T16:59:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/youaretheinvestigator.com\/?p=1804"},"modified":"2026-10-15T07:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T05:05:06","slug":"der-preis-des-vertrauens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/youaretheinvestigator.com\/en\/der-preis-des-vertrauens\/","title":{"rendered":"THE PRICE OF TRUST"},"content":{"rendered":"

Artifacts \u2013 Real Stories from Our Readers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Behind every story is a person and an experience that has left its mark. In this section, we publish true stories shared with us by our readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To protect privacy, all names and, where applicable, other personal information have been changed. The experiences described are based on reports from our readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every story is a testament to lived experience \u2013 an artifact of reality.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE PRICE OF
TRUST<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A reader's experience: A phone call, an SMS code, and the question of who to believe on the phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DOMINIK BECKER<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Grainy_black-and-white_documentary_photograph_of_an_open_lap\"<\/figure>
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A day when nothing went right<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dominik sat at his desk, glaring at the spinning loading bar. The project should have been with the client an hour ago, but his home internet was working as if it were being delivered by carrier pigeon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201eCome on, you piece of junk,\u201c Dominik muttered, trying to hypnotize the screen with his eyes.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The call<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unknown Munich landline number<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Grainy_black-and-white_documentary_photograph_of_a_smartphon\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then his cell phone rang. An unknown Munich landline number, area code 089, appeared on the display. Normally, Dominik wouldn't answer it in the middle of work. But now, completely stressed out, he swiped his finger across the screen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201eYes!"\u201c<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201e"Good day, Mr. Becker!" said a friendly, professionally trained female voice. "My name is Valerie Hoffmann, I'm calling on behalf of 'NordLink Telekom'. You use our internet at Gartenstra\u00dfe 12, Apartment 45, correct?"\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dominik relaxed involuntarily. For a moment, his anger gave way to surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201e"Yes, that's right. What's the problem? Is there an issue with the connection? Everything is incredibly choppy for me right now."\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The offer sounds too good to be true.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201eULTRA SPEED\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/td>Instead of<\/td>Offer<\/td><\/tr>
speed<\/td>100 Mbit\/s<\/td>500 Mbit\/s<\/td><\/tr>
A month<\/td>44,99 \u20ac<\/td>29,99 \u20ac<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201eThat\u2019s exactly why I\u2019m calling,\u201c said Ms. Hoffmann sympathetically. \u201eWe\u2019ve noticed a drop in your connection speed. Your device is still using an outdated standard. But I have good news: the fiber optic rollout to your building is complete. We can switch you to our new \u201aUltra Speed\u2018 plan immediately: 500 Mbps instead of your current 100 Mbps. And the best part: the monthly price is even lower, just \u20ac29.99 instead of your current \u20ac44.99.\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dominik did a quick mental calculation. Five times faster and cheaper to boot? That sounded like a godsend, especially given his situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Grainy_black-and-white_documentary_photograph_of_a_hand_hold\"<\/figure>
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An SMS code. For "confirmation".<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201e"Sounds great," he said. "And how does it work? Do I have to come into a shop with my ID card?"\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201eOh no, Mr. Becker, we value our customers\u201c time,\u201e the young woman laughed gently. \u201cEverything is digital and only takes a few minutes. I\u2019m currently preparing the electronic contract change. You\u2019ll receive a text message with a code from our verification system shortly. Please dictate the code to me as soon as it arrives, and I\u2019ll switch your plan immediately. The speed will increase within two minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dominik breathed a sigh of relief. "Two minutes, and the project will be sent out."\u201e<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE CONDITION<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Bing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A text message. Dominik opened it, ready to read the numbers aloud. But then he paused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The message did not come from "NordLink Telekom", but from PayPal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PayPal: Your security code is 583174. Never share this code with anyone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dominik frowned. Why would his internet provider need a security code from a payment service?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sender is incorrect.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

CALLER<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201e"Mrs. Hoffmann, why am I receiving a text message from PayPal?" he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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