According to the European police authority Europol, the domestic telecoms regulator RTR also warns against fake calls from alleged police officers. Last weekend alone, the number abuse hotline received more than 500 complaints about so-called robocalls, which an “Austrian police department” reported.
“In these robocalls, a recorded voice prompts you to press a certain key,” said Klaus M. Steinmaurer, RTR’s director for the telecommunications and postal division, describing the first scenario. After pressing a button, the criminals called themselves police officers and reported suspicious activity related to the potential victim’s bank account.
“During the phone call, the expression ‘identity card’ is often mentioned. Then the criminals try to get personal information, such as addresses or bank details, or even come up with false arrest warrants,” Steinmaurer said of the current scam.
Requests to deposit into bank accounts, purchase vouchers online or install malware were reported to RTR. Calls are often made from so-called Austrian telephone numbers, making it difficult to identify them in advance.
Just hang up
“The best way to deal with this kind of conversation is to just hang up. There’s really nothing else you can do, since the fraudsters are mostly based abroad and it’s hardly possible to trace them,” Steinmaurer informs, adding added: “The fact that alleged representatives of the Austrian executive are contacting via English band announcements is unusual and thus a first indication that something is going on there.”
Number ranges that are being abused are listed under rufzahlenabus.at. Those involved would also find a form there with which they can report suspicious numbers to us. “This allows us to identify waves of fraud in a timely manner and inform the population,” says the director of RTR.
Source: Krone

I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.