Fraudsters are ripping off seniors in Linz and Vienna for thousands of euros!

Fraudsters are ripping off seniors in Linz and Vienna for thousands of euros!

An alarming wave of fraud is shaking the Austrian population! In Linz, a 76-year-old woman fell victim to brazen fraudsters who posed as police officers. They led her to believe that a gang of burglars was in her neighborhood and had targeted her apartment. In a panic, the affected woman handed over her entire savings of several thousand euros to the fraudsters in her own apartment on Friday evening around 9 p.m. The real police make it abundantly clear that they never call to demand money or inquire about assets, like orf.at reported.

Another scandalous incident occurred in Vienna-Neubau, where a 75-year-old woman also fell into the trap of a fake police officer. On Friday she received a call from what was supposed to be a bank representative, who explained to her that an attempt had been made to withdraw money from her account the previous day. In order to “secure the evidence,” a detective had to come to her apartment. This alleged police officer explained that they needed to visit the affected bank branches to find further evidence. Terrified, the woman withdrew money and took her valuables out of the safe to hand them over to the fraudster outside the banks, like today.at reported.

These cases highlight the unscrupulous approach of fraudsters who use targeted information to gain the trust of their victims. The police appeal to all citizens to be suspicious and, if in doubt, to contact the real police before handing over their money or valuables.