In the new year, brutal phone crooks have struck again. In 2022 alone, the damage caused by the crooks in Upper Austria amounted to around five million euros.
A telephone fraudster worked for hours this week on a 66-year-old from the Gmunden district. The criminal tried to convince the pensioner that her child had caused a traffic accident. An arrest can only be avoided by posting bail.
Drove from Gmunden to Linz
In the late afternoon, the elderly woman actually sat in the car and gave jewelry worth about 70,000 euros to a woman (about 25 years old, red-blonde hair).
Just a short break
Not an isolated case, says Gerald Sakoparnig, head of the fraud department at the National Criminal Investigation Department. “During the holidays things were a bit quieter, but on Tuesday alone we had about 60 reports of fraudulent calls. The number of unreported cases is of course much higher, it is certainly in the hundreds,” he said when asked by “Krone “. In at least two cases, the scammers were also successful.
High total damage
Because in addition to the 66-year-old, an 83-year-old from the Linz-Land district also gave money and jewelry to the scammers. The exact amount of damage in this case is not yet known. The extent of the damage from fraudsters is shown in the year 2022. “The amount of damage in Upper Austria was about five million euros,” says Sakoparnig.
Group of criminals eliminated
Just a few weeks ago, a group of perpetrators – members posing as Interpol police officers – were taken out of circulation. “They came from India,” says Sakoparnig. He has little hope that fraud attempts will decrease in the future as other criminal groups will quickly take their place. His warning: neither the police nor the prosecutor asked for money on the phone.
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.
