“Hello mom, I have a new number…” – such a WhatsApp message was sent to tens of thousands of mobile phone owners by an international gang of fraudsters. The senders feigned an emergency and asked for money. A 57-year-old woman from Salzburg also fell for it, but can breathe a sigh of relief. The money she transferred was accidentally found by Viennese police officers in the car of two young Dutch men.
“Can you please tell us how you fell into that?” the judge in Vienna’s Landl asks a 57-year-old woman from Salzburg. The woman sighs: “I had a huge hernia at the time, had to take strong painkillers and was emotionally stressed. Then came this message from my son. I thought he changed his contract and had a new number. “That didn’t seem illogical to me,” the witness remembers. “He studies economics in Vienna and has a small business for which I have already made an advance. So I paid.”
Three transfers, then it happened
The victim made a total of three transfers before it dawned on her: “This can’t be right.” A suspicion that was confirmed by a call to her real son on his old number. Now it was clear to her: she had fallen for a massive fraud scam – 5,519.88 euros was wasted.
Several cell phones and 7,000 euros in the VW
At least for now. The 57-year-old is luckier than most fraud victims. Two young perpetrators of the international criminal organization were discovered by chance during a traffic stop in Vienna. The officers became suspicious because the two Dutchmen’s car contained several mobile phones and 7,000 euros. 16,000 fake WhatsApp messages were sent from the devices. Special software was used for this.
The 20-year-old and the 24-year-old have been in custody since May 15. They will be tried on Thursday for serious commercial fraud, charged by the WKStA. During the trial, which was also monitored by an official from the Federal Criminal Police, it quickly became clear: only what had actually been proven would be admitted.
Orders came via Telegram and SnapChat
The suspects from The Hague do not want to know any other accomplices or lenders. “I received the orders via Telegram,” says the younger man, saying he sent pre-written messages. He received a total of 5,000 euros for this.
The second suspect states that he played the role of watchdog. So that the owners of the accounts to which the victims have transferred money do not run away with the loot. His client was called ‘mafia.at’ on SnapChat.
“My client is not a big mafioso,” says Roland Friis, lawyer for the first defendant, “he was more of an errand boy who still lives with his mother and wanted to use the income to finance his drug addiction.”
Perpetrators were released after trial
The judge sentenced the 20-year-old to 18 months in prison, six of which were unconditional. The older man was sentenced to 21 months in prison, seven of which were suspended. The duo has already served the unconditional part in custody. The young men are released in court and want to return to the Netherlands as soon as possible.
The woman from Salzburg can be happy: the damage will be compensated with the money seized from the car.
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.
