Fraudsters steal valuables worth tens of thousands from 84-year-old

Scammers took valuables worth tens of thousands of euros from an 84-year-old woman in the district of St. Veit after falsely telling her that her daughter had caused a fatal crash and needed bail, ORF reported.

A woman called the pensioner on her mobile phone on Friday evening, pretending to be her granddaughter. She claimed the 84-year-old’s daughter had caused a serious traffic accident in which someone had died and was being held in custody.

A man then took over the call, posing as a court employee, and said a courier would collect the bail money. The scammers repeatedly urged the woman not to hang up. A short time later, an unknown man came to her home and collected valuables she had packed in a sack.

The woman realised she had been defrauded only after calling her granddaughter herself. She then contacted the police.

Police described the collector as rather short, with dark hair and brown skin or a Southern European appearance. He wore a light-coloured jacket, dark trousers and carried a light-coloured backpack. Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact St. Veit an der Glan police station on 059133 2120.

Police warn that they and the courts never demand bail by phone or send couriers to collect cash or valuables. They advise people to hang up immediately and call 133.