He received a lot of counterfeit notes
Schweizer sells real gold bars for counterfeit money
A fraud gang has ripped off a Swiss man. He brought real gold bars to a meeting in Italy and received fake money for them. Case discovered – thanks to Austrian authorities.
The scam starts when the phone rings in 2019. On one side of the line, a Swiss can quickly become a victim of a rip deal, a money transfer scam. But he didn’t know that yet. On the other end of the phone sits a professional swindler who has been up to mischief in Vienna for decades.O24ยป is reported.
And this time he won. The Swiss fall into the trap and show interest. The victim was related to wealthy Russian-born businessmen. It should be about profitable investment and earning opportunities. In reality, however, the Swiss are not talking to oligarchs, but to Serbo-Croatians who are part of a clan family based in Belgium, the Netherlands and Austria.
In order to win the Swiss man’s trust, he is invited to business meetings in Luxembourg and France. Fraudsters play it safe and already complete the initial preliminary transactions in which they buy gold bars from the victim – still with real money.
He was afraid to report it
The Swiss sense a big deal and indeed: three clan members are ready for a big exchange. They want to buy him gold bars for about 240,000 francs. The contract takes place in a hotel in Genoa (I). However, the Swiss received counterfeit money for his genuine gold bars. By the time he notices the fraud, the fraudsters are already gone. He is not going to the police. He is afraid to report him.
It was only when Vienna’s rip-deal unit, a special branch of the Austrian police, learned about him through tips that he dared press charges. The operator who started the scam eventually confesses and is punished. After this initial success, two other accomplices were identified but not caught. You’re still running.
In this context, the Austrian police warns of this scam and provides tips on how to protect yourself. In particular the following points should be noted.
- If you suspect anything, contact the police.
- Don’t go abroad to sell your own luxury goods.
- Be careful if the potential buyer is unwilling to negotiate the purchase price.
- Research your business partners and get identification and references from buyers.
If you are the victim of a fraudulent contract, file a complaint immediately.
(Hill)
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