A planned cash handover worth €100,000 ended in handcuffs rather than a financial disaster after Vienna police caught two suspected fraudsters inside the home of a 76 year old pensioner in Simmering. The operation prevented the elderly man from losing another substantial sum to an alleged investment scam.
The two men were provisionally arrested around midday on Thursday when they arrived at the pensioner’s apartment to collect the money. Investigators from the Vienna State Criminal Police Office, Southern Branch, were already waiting for them, reported by Heute.
The case dates back to September 2026, when the pensioner received a phone call from a man claiming to represent an investment company. Over the following months, the caller allegedly persuaded him to transfer money repeatedly into accounts linked to the company, promising that the payments would generate investment returns.
However, the demands did not stop. Earlier this week, the pensioner was reportedly asked to hand over an additional €100,000 in cash.
Before agreeing to the transaction, he decided to confide in his daughter. Realising that something was wrong, the two approached the police and filed a complaint. Investigators then arranged an operation to catch the suspected collectors in the act.
When the two men arrived at the apartment as agreed, officers moved in and arrested them. The suspects are a 29 year old Serbian national and a 32 year old Croatian national. On the orders of the Vienna Public Prosecutor’s Office, both were transferred to a correctional facility. Investigations are continuing.
Following the arrests, police have renewed their warning about fraudulent investment offers, particularly those promising unusually high returns. They advise people to research investment companies carefully and check whether they are authorised by Austria’s Financial Market Authority (FMA).
Authorities also urge investors never to make rushed financial decisions under pressure. Money should not be transferred to unfamiliar accounts, and cash or valuables should never be handed to strangers.
Above all, the police recommend discussing suspicious investment opportunities with family members or trusted people before committing any money. In this case, one conversation between a father and his daughter may have prevented a devastating financial loss.
