The damage is enormous: Two men from the district of Kirchdorf an der Krems lost several hundred thousand euros when they sensed big money on the Internet. The two were taken in by online scammers. The drama began in April of this year: a 68-year-old had found out about investment opportunities online and left his telephone number with an alleged provider.
A little later he was contacted by phone and informed about alleged investment opportunities – and invested. Business seemed to be going well: Alleged profits were reported via a website that was suspected to be fake.
The 68-year-old decided to include a close relative (32) as well. The 32-year-old borrowed money from relatives and friends and also took out a loan in the five-digit euro range in order to be able to pay the increasing demands of the contact person. Because the scammers wanted more and more money, allegedly in order to be able to carry out transactions on the financial market.
On Tuesday, the two Upper Austrians pulled the ripcord and reported the incident to the Kirchdorf police station. According to the current state of investigation, the amount of damage is in the six-digit euro range, the police said.
Executive advises:
- Stay suspicious! Don’t believe everything you see, hear and read on the Internet.
- Don’t be tempted by promised wealth gains and be sure to get a second opinion first.
- Consult the Financial Market Authority www.fma.gv.at.
- Do not allow strangers online remote access to your computer.
- In the event of damage, contact your bank immediately and then report it to the police.
