Woman ripped off twice

Fraudsters pretended to be a classical musician

The fraudsters contacted the woman via a messenger service (symbolic image).(Bild: www.picturedesk.com/Eva Manhart/APA, stock.adobe.com, Krone KREATIV)

Cyber fraudsters have ripped off a woman from Klagenfurt twice: The unknown persons pretended to be a classical musician and tricked the woman into believing they were meeting. After money had been paid, the "real musician" suddenly got in touch...

The woman from Klagenfurt is a fan of classical music. She had already made contact with a well-known musician via a messenger service in February of the previous year. The woman was promised a meeting with the artist for a fee. At the time, the 71-year-old transferred a five-figure sum in total. However, because a meeting never took place, the woman reported the incident in Vienna.

Musician with a guilty conscience
At the beginning of the year, Klagenfurt was contacted again via the messenger service. This time, the supposedly real musician wrote that he had found out about the scam. Because he had a guilty conscience, he promised the pensioner that he would pay part of the damages himself. However, the 71-year-old would have to open an account with an American financial institution. However, she would have to transfer several amounts via voucher cards to cover the costs and fees. 

Again, the woman believed she was in contact with the real musician and followed his instructions. Money in the mid-four-figure range flowed in until another complaint was made.