The fraudster who is currently posing as a police officer in Upper Austria, especially in Steyr, and wants to defraud unsuspecting citizens has probably seen too many fairy tales. He seems to be especially fond of the robber Hotzenplotz, because the crook pretends to be a ‘senior sergeant’ – he exists in fairy tales, but not in Upper Austria.
Apparently a ‘collector’ had been positioned in Steyr to quickly receive money from victims if successful. Because on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, between 12:34 PM and 1:15 PM, there were dozens of calls from one or more fake police officers in Steyr. A “senior sergeant” had been contacted.
The perpetrator spoke standard German
He spoke in standard German, the call came anonymously, but most of the people called immediately hung up and called the real police emergency number. Therefore, investigators do not know which scam the fraudster wanted to try. For example, if a family member has caused an accident and you wanted to pay a deposit. Or that there is a burglar in the area and that you have to save your savings and ideally give it to an official who happens to be in the area.
The researchers assume that there are a large number of unreported cases. Most of those affected simply hang up and do not report the incident to the ‘real’ police. There is currently no known damage.
“Hang up immediately”
The “real” police assume that the “senior sergeant” will soon call somewhere else again: “Victims of calls should under no circumstances be forced or persuaded to hand over money by the sometimes acting of the fraudsters. If there are any discrepancies, you should hang up and call the relevant police station again,” the researchers ask.
Sergeants only exist in the military
By the way, in Austria there is only a senior sergeant in the armed forces – it is a non-commissioned officer rank – and not in the police. The Swiss army also still has the senior sergeant, just like the Swiss Guard in the Vatican and the German judiciary as senior sergeant. Even with the robber Hotzenplotz, there is also the “Sergeant Dimpfelmoser” in the police – but only in fairy tales.
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.
