A pensioner from St. Leonhard am Hornerwald (Krems-Land district) fell for an internet fraudster who advertised a supposed investment with Armin Assinger, presenter of the “Million Dollar Show”, as an alleged testimonial. He lost around 4,000 euros. The Lower Austria State Police Directorate confirmed a corresponding report to the APA.
The 67-year-old fraud victim wanted to invest money in Bitcoins. The perpetrator presented a photo of the presenter and former skier Assinger in order to simulate the credibility of the investment form. This was successful: The pensioner was then persuaded over the phone to install an app that allowed third-party access to his cell phone and to give the perpetrator his credit card details.
In the spring the fake wage tax equalization, in the summer the WhatsApp of the children who have new phone numbers, in the run-up to Christmas the fake shops. And the marriage fraudsters and fake policemen all year round.
Money transferred to German account
This enabled the fraudster to transfer the pensioner’s money to a German account. A second transaction failed due to the victim’s daily limit. The 67-year-old filed a complaint.
The police have started an investigation. According to police, the scammer’s phone number has a British area code. However, it is doubtful that the trail leads to Great Britain. According to a police spokesman, calls from almost any place in the world might be faked using technical options.
