Debt collection scam

False bill collector was served a receipt

The accused had posed as a debt collector and sent out hundreds of reminders (symbolic image).

(Bild: ©stadtratte - stock.adobe.com)

A 21-year-old from Unterland had sent payment requests by email and posed as a debt collection agent. He was sentenced for his fraud on Tuesday at Feldkirch Regional Court in Vorarlberg.

"It's bad enough that the case is being heard here in court. There's no need to report about it in the newspaper," the defendant's mother told the attending press. The woman seems to have forgotten that her son expended quite a lot of criminal energy in December last year to prey on unsuspecting victims.

The fact is that the then holiday trainee wanted to earn a lucrative side income through fraud. And because fear has always been a good means of exerting pressure, he pretended to be the debt collection representative of two actually existing debt collection companies and demanded payment of almost 275 euros each from his predominantly older victims by email. He had previously obtained a total of 400 telephone numbers throughout Austria. Around 300 reminders were sent out.

Many victims smelled a rat
However, his plan to receive payments from at least five victims per day did not work out. A number of victims smelled a rat and contacted the debt collection agencies. The authorities became aware. When a transfer of 275 euros arrived in the account of the fake debt collector and he was unable to explain the origin of the money to the bank manager, the case was finally exposed.

Judge Sabrina Tagwercher.

(Bild: Chantall Dorn)

As the blameless man confesses and has already made amends for the damage, Judge Sabrina Tagwercher sentences him to four months' probation and a fine of 1440 euros. The delinquent, who now wants to become a chef, apologizes again for his actions.