The current wave of fraud with the nasty “son-daughter trick” is not over. A 75-year-old pensioner from Tyrol transferred more than 10,000 euros to an unknown person posing as her descendant. What should you pay attention to when a message arrives on your smartphone from your ‘own child’ with a supposedly new number?
“Mom, I need money urgently!” – This is how dubious WhatsApp messages that are currently doing the rounds in Austria begin. It’s now a whole wave of fraud – with countless victims across the country. This was also recently the case in Tyrol.
Made five transfers
On Thursday, a 75-year-old from the Innsbruck area was approached by an unknown person posing as her child. “After a short conversation, the woman was tempted to make five transfers to different accounts,” police said.
There is no trace of the perpetrator
All in all, the pensioner has lost more than 10,000 euros. Of course there is no trace of the culprit. Tracking down the unscrupulous scammers is extremely difficult for the police – as is unfortunately so often the case in the field of web crime. Investigations often turn up nothing.
How to protect yourself from scammers
In Tyrol, for example, there have been numerous reports of this nasty scam in recent days and weeks. The number of unreported cases is probably much higher. It is not uncommon for a few thousand, even more than 10,000 euros to be transferred. The executive shares tips on how to protect yourself from such scammers.
Brutal fairy tales
In most cases, the victims are put under enormous pressure – with brutal fairy tales, for example, emergency situations are feigned. In addition, the fake descendants often claim that their mobile phone is broken and that this is their new number. Extra caution is therefore still required!
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
