Viennese woman (82) defrauded

Widow handed over 1.5 million euros to a fake policewoman

Watch out, fake police! Real officers are asked to show their ID cards. Pensioners are increasingly becoming victims (symbolic image).(Bild: Tschepp Markus, stock.adobe.com, Krone KREATIV)

It is a sophisticated and heartless game with the fears of pensioners - a gang of fraudsters has now taken 1.5 million euros in cash from a Viennese academic widow ...

The tricks of the fraud mafia are many and varied. From bail scams for a supposedly arrested relative to fake police officers. However, the case of an 82-year-old woman from the 12th district of Meidling in Vienna is unusual even for experienced investigators due to the record haul. A caller warned the widow, a university graduate, that her savings were about to be exchanged for cash due to a conspiracy between bank employees and fake detectives.

Widow closed accounts in panic
In a panic, the elderly single lady then visited several financial institutions in the capital and closed all her accounts, some of which she had saved up for decades. In total, the victim withdrew around 1.5 million euros and foreign currencies and handed the cash over to a collector who was supposed to bring "everything to safety".

Watch out, fake police! Real officers are asked to show their ID. Pensioners are increasingly becoming victims (symbolic image).(Bild: Tschepp Markus, stock.adobe.com, Krone KREATIV)

On the occasion of this spectacular criminal case, investigators are now warning once again: Do not trust strangers who call you and ask alleged police officers for their ID! Bank employees should also be made aware once again if - as in this case - longstanding accounts are suddenly closed or a lot of money is withdrawn in cash for no reason.

Investigation team against fake police officers
In any case, a special "Investigation team for fake police officers" has been fighting this criminal business model since the fall of 2022. The amounts stolen are getting higher and higher. In 2021, it was still seven million euros, but in 2022 the amount of damage climbed to around 15 million euros and in 2023 to 20 million euros.

More than 100 arrests have already been made! There is also a hot lead on the gang that hit the Viennese senior citizen. Incidentally, the people behind the game of playing on pensioners' fears are often based in Turkey.