At the last second

Viennese thwarts scam on neighbor (92)

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

A man in Vienna-Favoriten acted heroically towards his 92-year-old neighbor on Monday. The lady had almost fallen victim to con artists. Because the resident was already familiar with the "police trick", he raised the alarm at the last second.

The 92-year-old woman only escaped a perfidious scam on Monday thanks to her attentive neighbor. A fake policeman had telephoned her and told her to get her savings from the bank because her money was supposedly not safe. The woman took a cab to two bank branches and withdrew several tens of thousands of euros.

Left scammers standing outside the house
At home, she told her neighbor about the incident. He immediately recognized the attempted fraud and alerted the police. Meanwhile, the alleged fraudster tried several times to reach the woman at her front door, but she - having been warned - did not let him in.

The police immediately launched a manhunt, but were unable to locate the perpetrator. The investigation is ongoing.

How to protect yourself from scams
Be careful with unknown callers and always question whether their stories are plausible. In such cases, speak to relatives or friends immediately before you act. Never disclose details about your assets and do not allow yourself to be put under pressure - if in doubt, simply hang up. Do not open the door to strangers and never hand over money or valuables to strangers.

If callers claim to be police officers, make sure you ask for ID and contact the emergency number 133 to verify their identity. Also take warnings from bank employees seriously if they alert you to a possible scam. Do you suspect that you are a victim of fraud? Do not hesitate to call the police immediately on 133!