Fake Police Officers Sentenced in Vienna Elder Fraud Case
VIENNA, Austria — Two men who impersonated police officers to scam elderly victims out of hundreds of thousands of euros were sentenced Wednesday by a Vienna court.
The 34-year-old and 28-year-old defendants were part of a broader international fraud scheme that operated between December 2023 and February 2024. Posing as police “collectors,” the men retrieved cash, gold, and jewelry from frightened seniors who had received scam calls warning of imminent burglaries. Victims were told to hand over valuables to supposed police officials coming to “secure” their assets.
The older defendant was sentenced to four and a half years for serious commercial fraud. The younger, who crafted a fake police ID to gain victims’ trust, received a three-year prison term. Both sentences remain subject to appeal.
Authorities say the pair caused more than €300,000 in damages. In one case, they took €70,000 in cash along with gold jewelry and a coin; in another, they walked away with a gold bar worth €170,000. A failed attempt to steal eight kilograms of gold—valued around €400,000—was thwarted.
Prosecutors called the crimes “one of the most despicable forms of fraud,” targeting vulnerable, elderly citizens. Defense lawyers argued the men were merely low-level operatives in a larger ring led by masterminds in Turkey.
Both men confessed but exercised their right to remain silent during questioning.
