In Saalfelden

“Gutter scammers” ripped off a woman from Pinzgau (67)

A senior citizen fell into the trap of Romanian fraudsters in Saalfelden. The men offered handyman services at the woman's house and wanted to carry out work on the roof and guttering. In the end, the Romanians wanted thousands of euros from the 67-year-old woman for their poor work.

On Wednesday, March 13, Romanian workers offered their services to a 67-year-old woman from Pinzgau to replace guttering and paint the roof of her house. The woman was persuaded to allow the men to carry out the work and paid a deposit of several thousand euros.

The woman filed a complaint
Even before the work was completed, the men demanded further payments from the 67-year-old woman, even though the work was carried out poorly and with bad materials. The woman finally pressed charges.

The three Romanian nationals, aged between 21 and 30, were found by the police at the house in Saalfelden. The men refused to make a statement. Further investigations are still pending.

Gangs of offenders as "gutter fraudsters"
This so-called "gutter fraud" has occurred repeatedly throughout Austria in recent years. Gangs of criminals (mostly from Eastern Europe) try to persuade victims to take advantage of a service, e.g. repairing supposedly damaged facades, roofs and gutters, by making particularly cheap offers.

Before the promised service (usually extremely poor workmanship) is completed, the victim is asked to pay far too much. The police advise particular caution.