They are warned about them like a prayer wheel, and yet they always manage to extract terrible sums of money from the pockets of their victims. We are talking about fraudsters pretending to be police officers. A 75-year-old Tyrolean woman recently fell for the trick and lost about 50,000 euros. However, thanks to a witness, she has the money back – and a suspect is in custody.
The 75-year-old from the Tyrolean Oberland was contacted by the fraudsters via her landline just over a week ago. The caller led the pensioner to believe she was from the police and that suspected criminals had her account details. Bank employees are also involved.
“The stranger asked the 75-year-old for help to catch these fraudsters. During several telephone conversations “The woman was so convincingly deceived by the caller that she went to the bank and withdrew a five-figure amount from her account,” the LKA Tirol researchers describe.
The victim left all the money for the house
As a result, the victim placed all the cash, including a gold coin, in front of her house as requested by the caller. “The money would be safe there at all times because several police officers would keep an eye on the package containing money,” she assured.
Witness observed suspicious person
But instead, the money and gold coin were picked up by the fraudsters. After the 75-year-old noticed this, she raised the alarm with the real police. Her happiness: “Shortly before this pick-up took place, a witness saw a person behaving suspiciously in the area of the woman’s home. This was reported to the police,” the researchers continued.
Arrest on the Inntal Autobahn
Based on this information, a large-scale search was immediately launched. A 50-year-old Turk was ultimately identified as a suspect. The alleged ‘collector’ of the money was stopped and arrested on the A12 Inntal highway. The suspect confessed during the interrogation.
“The entire loot was seized and returned to the victim,” police said. Further investigations are still ongoing. The 50-year-old suspect was taken to Innsbruck prison.
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.
