As of: February 23, 2024, 5:39 a.m
By: Kathrin Reikowski
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Police officers on patrol: In Austria, three fake police officers were caught by a 72-year-old.
© dpa Bildfunk/ Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert
Two men and a woman tried to get hold of a pensioner from Austria.
Their phone trick went completely wrong and they were arrested.
Vienna - “During the course of our investigations, we received a tip that there may be a danger to your property” - a man is said to have said to a 72-year-old Viennese on the telephone and pretended to be a police officer.
The solution apparently followed immediately: “Therefore, bring your property to safety and hand it over to the police.”
The person called panicked and agreed to the demands - but only in appearance, as
oe24.at
reports.
He had already seen through the scam.
The police and
consumer advice centers
repeatedly warn against this type of fraud.
Nevertheless, seniors still fall for this scam - like a woman from Munich.
Fake police officers can't frame the father of an Austrian police officer
In reality, the man went straight to the phone - and dialed his son's number.
In contrast to the caller, the 72-year-old's son is a real police officer, as
oe24.at
writes.
The son arranged for reinforcements from the Austrian State Criminal Police Office, which is responsible for such forms of fraud.
At the handover site near the 72-year-old's apartment, it was not the man with his cash and valuables that was waiting for the fraudsters, but rather the Austrian police.
Con artists were arrested in Vienna
Perhaps in this case the fraudsters would have been better off trying the well-known grandchild trick, because the Viennese probably knew more about police work than they imagined.
The three were arrested while still sitting in the car - they were a woman and two men from Germany, aged 24, 29 and 32.
It is not known whether they have already confessed - like another group of grandchild fraudsters.
(cat)