Two men who posed as police officers were sentenced to several years in prison on Wednesday by the Vienna Regional Court. The 34- and 28-year-old had acted as “collectors” between December 2023 and March 2024 after their victims received phone calls from abroad. In these calls, the victims were warned of imminent burglaries or threats and were urged to hand over cash and valuables to supposed police officers who would arrive at their homes shortly.
The 28-year-old carried out four such pickups, while the 34-year-old was involved in three cases. The older man received a sentence of four and a half years for aggravated, professional fraud. The younger man was sentenced to three years. He had even fabricated a fake police ID to convince victims of his legitimacy. The verdicts are not yet legally binding.
Prosecutor: “One of the most reprehensible types of fraud”
The prosecutor described the scheme as “one of the most reprehensible forms of fraud.” Elderly individuals, “whose decision-making capacity is limited,” were deliberately targeted as victims.
“These two were the lowest links in the chain,” argued Rudolf Mayer, the defense lawyer for the 28-year-old. He explained that the ringleaders of the group are based in Turkey. Unlike the defendants, these masterminds face “minimal risk of detection” while receiving the proceeds.
“He was in dire financial straits,” said Peter Philipp, the attorney representing the 34-year-old. His client had been “lured” by the promise of quick money.
The two men pleaded fully guilty before a panel of lay judges but refused to answer any questions, citing their right to remain silent.
According to the indictment, their actions caused over €300,000 in damages. In one case, they received €70,000 in cash, a gold necklace, a gold chain, and a gold coin. In another, they were given €40,000 and a gold bar weighing several kilograms valued at €170,000. An attempt to steal eight kilograms of gold worth approximately €400,000 using a fake police ID ultimately failed.
