Swiss elderly couple defrauded of 170,000 francs – "books as investment"
An elderly Swiss couple lost 170,000 francs to fraudsters who sold worthless books as a lucrative financial investment.
Swiss elderly couple defrauded of 170,000 francs – "books as investment"
An elderly Swiss couple was defrauded of 170,000 francs after spending years buying books as a supposed financial investment. The story began when representatives sold the couple worthless books as a lucrative investment. Over the years, the two pensioners invested considerable sums in building a library.
When the couple finally realised that the alleged financial investment was worthless, a turning point seemed to have arrived: a buyer offered 850,000 francs for the entire collection. But as Blick reports, this offer too turned out to be another fraud.
The fraudsters first demanded an advance payment from the couple for allegedly necessary insurance and transport costs. The pensioners paid a further 20,000 francs – but the buyer never appeared. Only then did the couple realise that the alleged million-franc deal was also part of the swindle.
In total, the two lost approximately 170,000 francs through the book fraud and the additional payment. Police are now investigating the unknown perpetrators.
Source: Blick