Falling for the "Small Theft": Why the €250 Deepfake Scam is the New Attack Tactic

By Anna Peschanska, Founder of Cylos Investigations

We all see those online ads: an authoritative politician or a celebrity promising incredible returns from a low-risk financial initiative. Maybe you're thinking, "It's only €250, it's worth a try."

Stop right there. That specific figure and that famous face are not random. They are sophisticated weapons used by organized criminal groups. At Cylos Investigations, we see this exact tactic every single day, and it is crucial you understand why it is so dangerous.

1. The Perfect Mask: What "Deepfakes" Really Are

If you are seeing a prominent figure like Giorgia Meloni promoting an investment, it is almost certainly a deepfake.

In simple terms: Imagine artificial intelligence software that steals the face and voice of a real person and perfectly overlays them onto an actor or a recorded voice. The person you see never spoke those words.

• The Goal: To create immediate, unwarranted trust. Scammers know you trust a political figure or celebrity, and they use this "mask" to bypass your logical defenses.

• The Reality: It is an incredibly realistic video created for one sole purpose: to get you to hand over your money.

2. Why Do Scammers Want Exactly €250?

The figure of €250 is the core of a strategy we call the "Small Theft Tactic." This is no accident; it is a cold, precise calculation based on your banking habits and the psychology of compensation.

A. It Blends In with Your Routine Spending

Scammers study banking fraud detection systems. They know that an out-of-the-ordinary transaction (like a €5,000 wire transfer) will immediately trigger an alert at your bank.

• The Average Threshold: Banks analyze your spending profile. The average transaction value for purchases and services made by an ordinary European citizen is often less than €300.

• The Tactic: A transaction of €250 has a much higher probability of being flagged as a legitimate expense (a large online purchase, a down payment, etc.) and slipping past automatic detection systems. The money is gone before the bank realizes it's outside the norm.

B. The "Low Action" Factor

Scammers rely on the fact that a loss of €250—while painful—won't motivate you to pursue a lengthy and expensive legal battle.

• The Risk Calculation: They trick you into losing an amount that is "big enough to hurt you," but "small enough" to make you think: "It’s not worth paying a lawyer or investigator to recover only this amount."

• Their Win: If you don't act, the scam is 100% successful. They multiply this "small theft" by thousands of victims and rake in millions.

What You Must Do If You've Seen (or Paid)

If you've seen one of these ads, your defense is awareness. If, like many, you have already yielded to the temptation of the €250, your first step must be immediate action.

You will not be able to recover the money unless you try to fight back. Even if the amount seems small, the principle is the same as a €40,000 loss. The money is traceable.

Our work at Cylos Investigations is specialized precisely in this: tracing the money outside of conventional legal channels that get bogged down in bureaucracy.

If you suspect you have fallen for this scam, contact our team immediately for a Case Viability Assessment. Don't let the "small theft" become easy profit for the scammers.