As we all know, love is blind – or, as in this case, it makes you blind: a 71-year-old Tyrolean woman was coldly conned by an unscrupulous Internet love scammer. The alleged sailor told the elderly woman blatant lies and ultimately received approximately 50,000 euros from her.
At the end of March, the pensioner from St. Johann in Tirol (Kitzbühel district) was contacted via a social media platform by an allegedly 63-year-old man. He stated that he wanted to get to know her better. This was the beginning of a so-called love story, which ended fatally.
“Ship Engineer” travels through Australia
But first things first: the duo started writing to each other regularly and exchanged phone numbers shortly afterwards. However, according to the police, the contact always took place exclusively in writing.
The so-called ‘lover’ gradually won the 71-year-old’s trust – pretending to be his true love, stating that he was a marine engineer and was currently traveling on a ship in Australia for work.
Codes photographed and forwarded
“The stranger promised the Tyrolean woman that he would visit her. But for that he needed money. The 71-year-old then bought so-called ‘gift cards’, took photos of the codes and sent them to the man,” police said.
False transfer confirmations
The online celebrity also promised to refund the money. As a result, transfer confirmations arrived, but they were fake. No money ever came in either.
Contact was lost and a mid-five figure sum was lost. The victim eventually reported the incident to the police on Sunday.
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.
