Warning about fraud by fake police officers and supposed bank employees

2023-11-06 12:41:06

Incident time: November 2nd, 2023, 7:00 p.m. and November 3rd, 2023, 4:00 p.m. Incident location: Vienna-Meidling and Vienna-Wieden

Vienna (OTS) – An 85-year-old woman was contacted by phone by a supposed bank employee. The bank employee stated that a strange lady had just tried to gain access to her savings accounts using a fake ID. A short time later, she called a male person who pretended to be a police officer and pointed out increasing cases of fraud in bank branches. To be on the safe side, the 85-year-old should clear out her bank safe. The 85-year-old followed this advice. In order to secure her valuables and savings books, the police officer would pick them up from her home and take them. A short time later, a young man posing as a police officer appeared at her home address and took the valuables worth more than five figures. An acquaintance who visited the 85-year-old in the afternoon found this suspicious, which is why he alerted the police.

A 78-year-old was called by what was supposed to be a bank employee. She claimed that a stranger tried to withdraw money from his account today. The man was then transferred to an alleged police officer by telephone. He asked about his money in the bank and any cash at home. The alleged police officer also stated that a colleague would pick up the 78-year-old from home to accompany him to the bank. He should clear his money and then hand it over to the police officer. As in the other incident, an unknown person then came to the victim’s home address after visiting the bank to take the cash. The 78-year-old handed over the cash. The damage amounts here are also in the higher five-digit range.

The Vienna police would like to warn and draw attention again:

Older people in particular are repeatedly deprived of their assets through fraud by fake police officers. The victims are told over the phone that they are a potential victim of burglars and that the police are coming to pick up their valuables in order to keep them safe.

The police warn urgently with the following tips:

The police do not require any valuables to be kept for safekeeping.
End suspicious phone calls and dial 133.

You can also obtain further information and prevention tips from the crime prevention department of the Vienna State Criminal Police Office on 0800-216-346 or by email at lpd-w-lka-ab- criminal praevention@poli-zei.gv.at