Telephone fraud in Freistadt: fake police officer deceives elderly people
In Königswiesen and Unterweißenbach, a fake police officer contacted elderly people. Police warn of the scam and provide security tips.
Fake police officer calls district of Freistadt
According to Google News AT — Crime, several men and women in Königswiesen and Unterweißenbach (Freistadt district) contacted the police after receiving suspicious calls. An unknown offender posed as "Ralf Maier" from Freistadt police headquarters.
The caller claimed that burglaries had taken place near the recipients of the calls, offenders had been arrested and weapons seized — however, some burglars were still at large. The affected women ended the conversations as soon as the calls seemed suspicious to them.
Two elderly women from the affected communities were particularly concerned about their relatives. Police officers subsequently visited them in person to inform them about the fraud scheme and explain security measures.
Police emphasise: no doctor, police officer or prosecutor ever requests bail payments or cash handovers by telephone. Hang up immediately on dubious calls, do not disclose personal data and also ignore SMS messages from alleged authorities. In case of doubt, police can be reached via the emergency number 133.
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)