A series of fraud schemes across southern Germany and Austria has cost victims hundreds of thousands of euros in recent days, with perpetrators exploiting shock calls, fake investment platforms, and phishing messages.
In Amberg, Bavaria, a senior citizen handed €95,000 in a plastic bag to a courier after callers posing as police officers claimed his sister had caused a fatal traffic accident and needed bail money. The courier fled on foot and remains at large.
Separately, a 56-year-old woman from Furth im Wald lost more than €100,000 to investment fraud after an online advertisement featuring a celebrity photo drew her to a fake trading platform. Fraudulent advisors showed her fabricated profits, prompting her to transfer funds in multiple transactions.
In Austria, a 65-year-old man from Villach received text messages from a fake bank employee between 22 and 27 July requesting identity verification. A follow-up call led him to grant remote access to his online banking account, enabling the perpetrators to steal thousands of euros in two transfers.