In 2019, scammers took gold up to the equivalent of 240,000 Swiss francs (245,499.18 euros) from a Swiss man, but swindled the man from Genoa with counterfeit money. The case has now been cleared up by investigators at the Rip Deal Unit Vienna, which is located in the Central East Branch of the State Criminal Police Office. The victim had not even reported the fraud out of fear.
The Goldnagl research group has long been on the trail of members of a gang made up of family clans of Serbo-Croat origin in Belgium, the Netherlands and Austria. In this case, cooperation with Belgian detectives and numerous surveillance measures at home and abroad, trace evaluations and the seizure of mobile phones led to three suspects. One of them is a rip deal operator that has been operating in Vienna for decades, police spokeswoman Irina Steirer said on Sunday.
Gain trust first
He had contacted the Swiss under the pretense of lucrative investment and earning potential and piqued his interest. More phone calls followed, with the designated victim talking to supposedly wealthy businessmen from Russia. They invited the man to business meetings in Luxembourg and France, where they also bought gold bars from him. That’s how they won his trust.
The fraud eventually took place at a hotel in Genoa in October 2019. The perpetrators tricked the Swiss into buying gold from him for 240,000 francs and sent him to the Italian port. There they took the gold from him and gave him a bag of money in return. However, the victim noticed only after the meeting that the Franks were all “flowers”, ie fake money.
Search for other gang members
The man did not report and cited fear as the reason. It wasn’t until the Viennese detectives received information about the fraud that the Swiss came forward with his story. The rip deal operator was convicted in December 2020 by the Vienna Regional Court. Upon further investigation, the detectives investigated two accomplices who are wanted.
Some prevention tips from the police:
- If you are suspicious, please contact the nearest police station or stop pending cases. Listen to your gut feeling.
- Don’t go abroad to sell your own possessions, especially luxuries. Don’t be tempted to go abroad.
- Be careful and get suspicious if the potential buyer shows no sign of wanting to negotiate the purchase price.
- Research your business partners and obtain references and IDs from the buyers – especially for luxury goods sales.
- In any case, after a rip deal, also file a complaint domestically and not only abroad.
- Data subjects can contact the Rip-Deal-Unit-Vienna for information or questions – anonymously if you prefer.
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.
