Vienna in fraud focus: false police officers demand money from seniors!

Vienna in fraud focus: false police officers demand money from seniors!

Wien, Österreich - On February 24, 2025, a 32-year-old woman was arrested in Vienna who worked in a call center in Istanbul and was active as part of a fraud. The State Criminal Police Office in Lower Austria, under the order of the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office, was arrested. It is accused of contacting older people in Vienna and Lower Austria with a so -called "police trick" to bring them to money. When calling for fraud, it was faked that burglaries had taken place in the neighborhood, which should frighten the victims in order to elicit money or jewelry. Notes with the names of the data subjects were discovered when the arrest was discovered. A total of ten crimes were documented in this context, including several attempts, in Vienna and in the Neunkirchen district.

This form of fraud is part of a larger phenomenon that is increasingly pursued by the authorities. The executive expressly warns against reacting to calls from unknown people and gives valuable tips on prevention. Police officers will never pick up cash or jewelry. Citizens should therefore not disclose personal information on their assets, do not let themselves be put under pressure and, if necessary, lay on if they have doubts about the caller's identity. In addition, it is advisable to call for a pocket for a job if alleged police officers report.

breakdown of international call center fraudsters

This arrest is in the context of a comprehensive strategy to combat international call center screens. A comprehensive investigation operation by the Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office in December 2023 led to a suspected attempted fraud with potential damage of over 100,000 euros. The investigators infiltrated the communication of the fraudsters, who acted from five different countries. Over 100 civil servants worked around the clock to evaluate call movements and to intervene in time in over 6000 cases. Overall, these criminal gangs tried to capture ten million euros by exposing themselves as close relatives, bank employees or police officers to scle down trust.

decline in fraud crime in Germany

In 2024, fraud crime in Germany fell by 1.5 percent compared to the previous year, which was 743,472 cases. This development is noteworthy, especially in an environment in which increasingly fraudulent offenses from abroad occur. Of the cases registered in 2024, 513,518 are due to fraud, which were committed abroad. However, the display quota is still low: only about 20 percent of all fraud is shown. It is important to educate citizens about warning signals to protect themselves and avoid fraud.

A central aspect of fraud crime is the call center fraud, which is often organized from Turkey or Eastern Europe. The perpetrators use modern technologies to display authentic telephone numbers and to gain the trust of the victims. The police continuously adapt their strategies and strengthen international cooperation in order to meet these challenges. Prevention measures include campaigns to raise awareness of endangered groups, especially seniors who are often the main goals of such fraudsters.