PHOTO: iStock/Oksana Zueva
A 55-year-old Serbian woman from Vienna-Simmering fell victim to a sophisticated scam. It all started with a request from an acquaintance to lend him money for a prison bail bond. To make sure that this request was justified, the woman sought advice from a fortune teller on Facebook. This turned out to be a fatal mistake.
The curse on their children
In the chat, the Serbian woman was confronted with a shocking message. The fortune teller, who called herself “Nermine,” claimed that the children of those seeking advice were cursed and could die without her intervention. In return for a large sum of money, “Nermine” offered to drive the black magic away from the children.
Driven by fear, the 55-year-old accepted the offer. In three separate handovers, well wrapped in white cloths, she handed over 77,000 euros to a money courier. It was only after these payments that she became suspicious and alerted the police.
Over 70,000 euros for false promises
Thanks to the license plate number of the car the money courier had used to make the transactions, the police were able to track down the 47-year-old man. He ended up in the dock for serious commercial fraud. His lawyer, Alexander Philipp, pointed out that his client was in a tight financial situation. The defendant confessed to the crime, but did not comment further on legal advice.
Arrest and confession
The 47-year-old was sentenced to two years in prison, with 18 months suspended. He must actually serve six months. The defendant agreed to repay the 77,000 euros. The judge considered factors such as his confession and his previous clean record as mitigating circumstances. The verdict is already final.
Sentence and further investigations
The criminal, who calls herself “Nermine,” and her accomplice are still at large. The trial was a sweaty affair due to the summer heat in the courtroom, but it went quickly and did not result in any further mystical incidents.
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