Graz, the capital of Styria, has been hit by a wave of fraud attempts. But it is not only there that citizens are at risk. Police warn.
Honest New Year’s resolutions are seemingly in vain when dealing with cunning crooks, and even in the young year 2023, numerous citizens have once again been robbed of their bitter savings. While the Bregenz area and other cities in Vorarlberg were still targeted by criminals during the Christmas holidays, they are now also extremely active in Styria.
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“A wave of attempted frauds is likely to reach the Graz metropolitan area again at this time,” the Styrian state criminal police office warned on Monday. But not only are there citizens who risk becoming victims of the perfidious scam of “fake policemen”.
Scammers try to get in touch by phone, posing as police officers or detectives. Through sophisticated interviews and stories of neighborhood burglaries, they attempt to obtain information about large amounts of money or valuables from the victims, and then offer to keep the items safe.
The Styrian police therefore wants to raise awareness of the population so that they can recognize this scam before it is too late. Law enforcement agencies have issued the following prevention advice.
Formulation of tips for police prevention
➤ “One recognizes a “fake police officer” from the already known crimes!”
➤ “Be wary of people you don’t know!”
➤ “Never give valuables to people you don’t know!”
➤ “End the call in progress and call the real 133 of the police immediately!”
➤ “Never be a hero and follow real police orders!”
➤ “Support the work of the police and share important information with us!”
