Fraud warning: This is how online perpetrators trick older people!

Fraud warning: This is how online perpetrators trick older people!

In an alarming incident, a 65-year-old woman from Carinthia was victims of a refined fraud. After creating a new social media account, she quickly received a friend request from an unknown man. As a soldier of the Austrian Air Force, he introduced himself to peace mission and managed to win the trust of women through emotional manipulation. The fraudster promised a personal meeting and informed you about the upcoming delivery of an alleged package with valuable documents and cash. As a result, a supposed freight forwarder called for a high fee that the woman transferred to a foreign account. It was only after further payment requests that she noticed the fraud and filed a complaint with the police. The Carinthia police urgently warns of such fraud stitches and advises citizens to caution with unknown contacts on the Internet, such as ORF Kärnten reported.

The importance of social media in everyday life is undeniable, and this also applies to institutions such as the police. Monique Pilgrimm, an expert in police communication, emphasizes that social media are more than just entertainment platforms for the police. They serve to manage crisis, prevention and the fulfillment of an information requirement. Police work is increasingly presented in social networks, including police officers themselves, which is great potential for recruiting new forces. One example is the police officer Helena, who gives authentic insights into her everyday work on her Instagram account and gains a broad supporter. This shows that the right presentation of the police on social media is not only crucial for the image, but also for the address of potential applicants, such as kom.de in addition.

However, police officers have to exercise great care when dealing with social media, since private social media activities can also have negative consequences for the authority. Political sensitivity and the claim to the role model function must always be in the foreground in order to avoid unpleasant incidents. Findings about how behavior in social media influences the public perception of the police and civil servants are essential in an increasingly digital world.