Viennese detectives have arrested a Rip Deal fraudster (39) who committed seven crimes with a total loss of 1.2 million euros. Most victims, especially from Austria, lost cryptocurrencies.
The main perpetrator is a Dutchman nicknamed ‘Kennedy’. He was arrested by Italian police in Milan with the support of Europol and sentenced to three years in prison at the St. Pölten regional court in October, police announced on Thursday. During the court hearing, he immediately paid compensation of 100,000 euros to one of his victims.
Wallet made for cryptocurrencies
The total damage amounts to 1.2 million euros and affects victims from St. Pölten, Tulln, Liezen, Vienna, Zurich and North Rhine-Westphalia. 200,000 euros in counterfeit money was also seized. The Austrian investigators also investigated other accomplices, against whom European arrest warrants have now also been issued. The searches are ongoing.
According to investigators, the convict belongs to a Roma clan. They are accused of inviting their victims to hotels such as those in Milan to build trust and invite them for dinner. The affected people were then allegedly asked to create a cryptocurrency wallet. The password is spied on – usually with a hidden camera.
Those affected by the fraud are those who sell their own high-value goods, offer services or want to build capital themselves.
“Challenging phenomenon”
“The investigation started in 2021 with a complaint from a private investigator who asked us for help in clarifying the case, because the case of a man from St. Pölten had been unsolved since 2018,” explains special investigator Valentin Szaga-Doktor. According to this data, the targeted person was eventually able to prove eight crimes in Europe since 2016. He has been working in the Rip Deal sector for almost 15 years. According to Szaga-Doktor, rip deals are among the most challenging phenomena today. Partly because the perpetrators act excellently, both operationally and technically.
Source: Krone
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