Retiree in the hospital

Fraud by fake officers escalates during handover

Once again, a horrific incident has occurred in the public housing complex.(Bild: Peter Tomschi)

On Monday, a malicious scam escalated dramatically during the handover of valuables at a public housing complex in Vienna-Döbling. Two men posed as police officers—now a 91-year-old woman is in the hospital with a traumatic brain injury.

Initially, the pensioner was contacted by phone by a man claiming to be a bank employee. Under the pretext of an unauthorized withdrawal, he convinced her to withdraw all her money from her account to “keep it safe.”

Serious Fall After Struggle
Shortly thereafter, the man called again and announced that a police officer would come to collect the money, as well as gold and jewelry. During the handover, however, a scuffle broke out, during which the woman fell and suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Once again, a terrible incident has occurred in the public housing complex.(Bild: Peter Tomschi)

Investigation underway
She received emergency medical care and was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Her questioning was initially difficult, as she could not remember parts of the incident. The investigation is in full swing. The search for the perpetrators is ongoing.

Horrific murder in 2018
A horrific incident had already occurred in the same public housing complex in the past: In 2018, the body of a seven-year-old girl was found in a dumpster. The girl was killed by a stab wound to the neck.