Perpetrator caught by chance

16,000 attempted scams – and one victim was lucky

Thousands of Austrians have received a WhatsApp message like this.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Martin Jöchl, stock.adobe, Krone KREATIV)

"Hi mom, I have a new number ..." - A Whatsapp message like this was sent to tens of thousands of cell phone owners by an international gang of fraudsters. The senders pretended to be in distress and asked for money. A 57-year-old woman from Salzburg also fell for it, but she can breathe a sigh of relief. The money she transferred was found by chance in the car of two young Dutch men by Viennese police officers.

 "Can you please tell us how you fell for it?", the judge in Vienna asks a 57-year-old woman from Salzburg. The woman sighs: "I had a massive slipped disc at the time, had to take strong painkillers and was emotionally distressed. Then came this message from my son. I thought he had changed his contract and had a new number. It didn't seem illogical to me," the witness recalls. "He was studying business in Vienna and had a small company that I had already paid for once. So I paid up."

Three transfers, then it dawned on him
The victim made a total of three transfers before it dawned on her: "This can't be right." A suspicion that was confirmed when she called her real son on his old number. Now it was clear to her: she had fallen for a mass scam - 5519.88 euros were gone.

Several cell phones and 7000 euros in the VW
At least for the time being. The 57-year-old was luckier than most victims of fraud. Two young offenders from the internationally active criminal organization were caught by chance during a traffic stop in Vienna. The officers became suspicious because there were several cell phones and 7,000 euros in the car of the two Dutchmen. The devices had been used to send 16,000 fake WhatsApp messages. Special software was used for this.

My client is not a big mafioso, he was more of an errand boy who still lives with his mother in the Netherlands.

Roland Friis verteidigte

Bild: Jöchl Martin

The 20-year-old and the 24-year-old have been in custody since May 15. On Thursday, they will go on trial for aggravated commercial fraud, charged by the WKStA. During the trial, which is also being watched by an official from the Federal Criminal Police Office, it quickly becomes clear that only what has actually been proven will be admitted.

Orders came via Telegram and SnapChat
The defendants from The Hague do not want to know any other accomplices or backers. "I received the orders via Telegram," says the younger one, saying that he sent pre-written messages. He received a total of 5,000 euros for this.

The young first defendant in Vienna Landl

(Bild: Jöchl Martin/Krone KREATIV)

The second defendant testifies that he acted as a lookout. So that the owners of the accounts to which the victims had transferred money would not run off with the loot. His client had the name "mafia.at" on SnapChat.

"My client is not a big mafioso," says Roland Friis, defense lawyer for the first defendant, "he was more of an errand boy who still lives with his mom." And wanted to use the proceeds to finance his drug addiction. 

Offenders were released after trial
The judge sentenced the 20-year-old to 18 months in prison, six of which were unconditional. The older man received 21 months in prison, seven of which were fixed. The duo had already served the unconditional part in custody. The young men are released in the courtroom and want to return to the Netherlands as soon as possible. 

The woman from Salzburg can be happy: she will be compensated for the damage from the money confiscated from the car.