Value: 400,000 euros

Forged will to get his hands on a house

The fraud case revolves around a self-written will (symbolic image).

(Bild: Horst Einöder/Flashpictures)

A man from Pinzgau is accused of serious fraud. After the death of a friend, the 71-year-old allegedly wrote her will himself, including a forged signature. He almost used it to obtain a 400,000 euro detached house. Next week, he has to appear before the criminal court.

It is a remarkable criminal case that took place in Saalfelden - and will be heard next week on Wednesday in Salzburg Provincial Court. According to the indictment from the Salzburg public prosecutor's office, a pensioner from Pinzgau (71) attempted to defraud with a forged will. Using the last will of a deceased acquaintance - who had no heirs herself - which he had apparently even written in block letters, he targeted her property in the center of Saalfelden. Value: around 400,000 euros.

The criminal case will be heard on March 19 at the Salzburg Provincial Court.

(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

And the alleged fraud for the inheritance almost succeeded - according to "Krone" information, the property had already been awarded to him by the district court or, as it is called in the technical jargon, had already been assigned to him. However, other acquaintances of the deceased who got wind of this expressed doubts. These also reached the police and the authorities. Only then did the whole matter come to light.

In the course of the investigation, the judiciary obtained an expert opinion to clarify the authenticity of the will. The expert recognized the forgery. In the meantime, the transaction was stopped.

Idea from TV series?
It is not entirely clear when the accused allegedly forged the document. According to the indictment, the time of the crime is narrowed down to between January and July 2024. And as the "Krone" has heard rumors from locals, the 71-year-old is said to have gotten the idea from a TV series. In any case, the senior citizen will have to answer for attempted aggravated fraud on March 19. If convicted, he faces a prison sentence of between one and ten years.