Savings gone

Pensioner was taken in by a “fake policeman”

The perpetrators made contact by telephone

(Bild: Matthias Balk / dpa / picturedesk.com)

An elderly man from the district of Graz-Umgebung was taken in by a "fake policeman". He handed him cash and gold coins - in the hope of helping a relative out of trouble.

In the district of Graz-Umgebung, another elderly man fell for a fake police officer who used the bail trick. On Thursday, the Styrian handed over a large sum of cash and gold coins in the belief that he was helping a relative out of trouble after an accident. The handover took place in Graz to a "representative of the public prosecutor's office", the police announced on Friday. The man only informed the real police when the matter seemed strange to him.

Man handed over money to "collector"
An unknown woman had contacted the Styrian man by telephone on Thursday. The victim was manipulated in the usual way. The fraudster pretended to be a policewoman and made the man believe that a relative had caused a fatal traffic accident. He now had to pay bail to avoid being remanded in custody. The man went to his bank and collected cash and gold coins. He then drove to Graz in his car according to the instructions of the fake policewoman and handed over the valuables to a so-called "collector" at around 1.00 pm.

Detectives from the Styrian State Office of Criminal Investigation took over the further investigation. Possible traces of the "collector" on the Styrian's vehicle were also secured. After numerous cases in recent years, the police once again warned people not to believe strangers on the phone when they claim to be police officers and demand money.