Fake prosecutors and cops: wave of scam calls
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Investigators in the state are currently dealing with a wave of fraudulent calls from fake police officers. Between 100 and 200 calls are reported to the authorities every day. The scammers pretend to be prosecutors or police officers. Older people in particular are put under pressure on the phone.
The telephone fraudsters unsettle their victims with two tricks in particular: The first is that a fake police officer or public prosecutor calls and says that a close relative is said to have caused a serious traffic accident and that a bail of several tens of thousands of euros is now due.
Impostor: Fast speech rate and clear instructions
The victims are put under a lot of time pressure on the phone. This is also confirmed by a recording of a fraudulent call – the fraudsters quickly give clear instructions that can convince even critical people: “Then please drive off immediately, take your mobile phone with you. I’ll keep in touch with you all the time, please don’t interrupt the conversation. They’re also sworn to absolute confidentiality — they can’t tell their father about the bail,” says a female voice on the phone.
Grödigerin picked up the scammers’ call
Last week Julia Codalonga’s phone rang from Grödig-Fürstenbrunn (Flachgau) – she was informed of an alleged fatal accident, which she never found. “They introduced themselves as the Police Alpine Road. A police officer told me that an accident had happened and that it was about a relative of mine. I wanted to test the caller’s approach because I thought something wasn’t right here,” says Codalonga.
Called by prosecutor after police
Apparently, Julia Codalonga accepted this money claim. A little later she was called by an alleged prosecutor. With the help of a friend, she recorded the call. The conversation dragged on for almost three quarters of an hour, with the wrong public prosecutor repeatedly trying to put pressure on the woman from Salzburg.
“Police would never ask for valuables”
A second scam involves an alleged police officer calling and explaining that there is a burglary in the neighborhood. An officer will therefore come by and secure valuables as a precaution, says the scammer. Under no circumstances should you give in to such urges and demands, emphasizes Robert Meikl from the crime prevention department at the Salzburg State Criminal Police Office: “The police would never come to people’s homes and take valuables with them, take them into custody or have them checked. Whenever such a call happens, it is a scam attempt. Please be alert and call 911 immediately and inform the real police.”
Don’t let yourself be pressured
According to the police, older people in particular are victims of such fraudulent calls. They should not allow themselves to be pressured and speak to their relatives instead of arranging a meeting point and handing over sums of money.