In Vienna, three men have been sentenced for pretending to be police officers and trying to steal from elderly people. The group knocked on doors, claimed to be detectives, and told residents there had been burglaries in their building. They said they needed to check inside each apartment for safety. Some even showed fake police IDs, reported by Kurier.
The main suspects are a 47-year-old and a 52-year-old man, both German citizens with Romanian roots. They each have long criminal records in Germany. After one of them got out of prison, the two moved their crimes to Austria in fall 2024. Between mid-October and mid-November, they tried to get into several homes.
In two cases, they got inside and searched for valuables but didn’t find anything. In two other cases, they were turned away. The men were caught and brought to court in Vienna.
On Wednesday, the court sentenced the 47-year-old to four years in prison and the 52-year-old to three and a half years. Both men admitted to the crimes and accepted their punishment. Their verdicts are final.
A third man, 41, drove the others to the crime scenes. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison but has asked for more time to decide if he will appeal. He claims he was only the driver and didn’t help with the burglaries.
This case is a warning to the public to always ask for proper ID and call the police if something feels suspicious.
