Exorbitant price demanded

Bank employee prevented fraud by workers

Anyone who hires itinerant workers who actively offer their services locally must also expect to be ripped off. If there is any doubt about the invoice amount, the police should be contacted.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

A Romanian work crew allegedly demanded 16,000 euros from a pensioner from Mühlviertel for plumbing work on his house. However, the work carried out was probably only worth a fraction of what the man was charged. The three suspects were charged.

It was a concerned employee of a bank near Rohrbach who raised the alarm with the police at around 11.50 a.m. on Monday: He told the officers that a 73-year-old customer had come to withdraw 8,000 euros from his savings account.

However, the financial advisor strongly suspected that the man could be a victim of fraud. The pensioner had also mentioned in passing that he had to pay a total of 16,000 euros to three Romanians who were carrying out tinsmith work on the roof of his house. This also seemed suspicious to the police officers. They immediately set off and drove to the Mühlviertler's house.

Stolen loot seized
On site, however, the Romanians told the police that they had only asked for 1,600 euros for their work. However, the officers suspected that this was a defensive claim and believed the 73-year-old's statements. They also informed the financial police so that the trio could also be investigated under tax law.

The fact that stolen tools - including a chainsaw and a battery - were seized from the suspects' vehicle, which had been put out for search, made it clear that their mistrust of the Romanian group was not unfounded.

Reported at large
The three suspects (28, 29, 43), who live in Germany, were taken to the Rohrbach police station for further criminal and financial investigation. After consultation with the public prosecutor's office, however, the Romanians could only be reported at large.