Tens of thousands of euros gone – rain of money promised: Tyrolean woman scammed on the internet

At the beginning of February, the woman from Innsbruck came across a tempting trading platform via social networks on which she… high profits were promised. She registered on the homepage, opened an account and ‘invested’ a three-figure sum in euros. The 34-year-old then received a message in which she transferred another four-digit euro amount. “By mid-March, her profits are said to have risen to a low six-figure sum in euros,” police said.

Blackmailed with possible complaint
But when the woman wanted to have this amount paid out, the criminals persuaded her to open another ‘account’ on a different homepage. Under the pretext that she had to pay taxes before the winnings were paid out, she made several payments – totaling a low five-figure sum in euros. Several phone calls followed, purportedly from the police, informing her that she would be reported for “dirty money” if she did not transfer a five-digit euro amount to an account. The Tyrolean also complied with this request. “In total, the woman has suffered damage that could amount to five figures in euros,” the director emphasizes.

Alleged error on account of online seller
A 22-year-old from Innsbruck also lost several thousand euros to internet criminals. The man received a call from an alleged employee of a well-known online retailer, who told him that his account was public and that several orders had already been placed. Because the orders were placed from different locations, fraud may have occurred. He then gave the caller access to his laptop and mobile phone using a so-called ‘remote desktop tool’ to fix the ‘error’. “The man was also persuaded to open an account on a crypto exchange and transfer money,” police explain. After consultation with his bank, it was made clear to the complainant that he had become a victim of fraud.