A suspected “police trick fraudster” has been arrested in Vienna. The 26-year-old allegedly initiated the crimes through a call center in Türkiye. There are said to have been 19 scams on the woman’s account between May 2023 and February this year, ten of which were attempted.
The victims were mostly very old Viennese women. According to a release from the Lower Austrian Police, the damage – including the attempts – amounts to approximately 2.1 million euros.
The suspected telephone operator was investigated by the “Fake Police Investigators Group” of the State Criminal Police of Lower Austria, together with the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Economic Affairs and Corruption.
Savings stolen
The victims were robbed of their savings or attempts were made to lure valuables from their savings. After her arrest in Vienna in March, the 26-year-old was taken to Vienna-Josefstadt prison. The woman will have to answer for serious commercial fraud at the Regional Criminal Court in Vienna.
“The research group has done good work since its establishment in the autumn of 2022 and has already taken more than 135 offenders out of circulation throughout Austria. Anyone who thinks they can pretend to be a police officer will be arrested by the police,” said Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP).
Robbery in uniform
The ‘police trick’ involves simulating a phone call from a police officer or detective. Victims are tricked into handing over valuables or money to the alleged director.
Source: Krone
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