Police trick

Elderly lady handed over gold and money to fraudsters

Fraudsters successfully exploit trust in the police time and again (symbolic image).(Bild: Uta Rojsek-Wiedergut)

When it comes to their own child, parents want to protect them immediately - no matter how old the child or they themselves are. A 95-year-old Villach woman's protective instinct immediately kicked in when she received a call from a supposed police officer on Friday.

"Your daughter has caused a fatal traffic accident and has been taken into custody!" These words immediately dispelled any mistrust and caution in the 95-year-old woman at around 4 p.m. on Friday when the "policeman" reached her on the phone. However, the daughter could be released immediately by making an immediate "bail payment". 

Victim was not allowed to end the phone call
So that she doesn't have time to think, the fraudster doesn't let the Villach woman hang up either - the call has to be recorded for an alleged court case. "Together with an acquaintance, the lady drove to her bank and withdrew several tens of thousands of euros," the police explain. Neither the acquaintance nor the bank employee seemed suspicious - the lady herself was in the clutches of the fraudster.

After the bank, it's straight on to Ossiacher Zeile - where a messenger is already waiting, to whom the 95-year-old hands over the money and additional gold jewelry in order to buy her daughter's freedom. Only when the scam is over and the fraudster is no longer manipulating the woman over the phone do they realize what they have done and go to the police.