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Phishing fraud perps nabbed

A 64-year-old pensioner from Walding in the district of Urfahr in Upper Austria was quick to spot a set of unauthorized withdrawals from his bank account, allowing police in Vienna to arrest the three perpetrators.

Published: 22 June 2014 11:31 CEST

Phishing fraud perps nabbed

Photo: Wikimedia

After noticing that tens of thousands of euros had been withdrawn from two of his back accounts, the 64-year-old was quick to inform local police in Ottenheim.

The pensioner was the victim of a so-called "phishing fraud", which involved the creation of a fake web site that appeared to belong to his regular bank. Through use of the stolen banking credentials via the fraudulent web site, a group of international offenders were able to gain illegal access to the man's accounts, and transfer the money to their own account.

Due to the fast response of police, the bank involved was able to make a full recovery of the stolen funds.

As the result of a joint investigation between police in Vienna and Ottenheim, a total of five suspects were identified — three Poles and two Lithuanians. The three Polish suspects have now been arrested by police in Vienna, according to a press release on Sunday.

The fraud occurred on April 17.

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UPDATED: Vienna police investigating possible 'threat' to Donau Zentrum shopping centre

The Vienna police confirmed they are investigating a non-specified threat to the Donau Zentrum shopping centre, located in the Austrian capital’s 22nd district, a spokesperson told The Local.

On Monday, pictures of an alleged internal document sent by the shopping centre to tenants circulated on social media and messaging apps. The document stated there was a “threat against the Westfield Donau Zentrum for April 30, 2024”. It stated that the authorities had been working to identify suspects since yesterday.

“The source of the threat is a photo circulating online”, the statement said without giving further details. “If we receive additional information or specifications, we will immediately inform you”, it added.

“There is currently no reason for you as an employee to worry as we are strictly following police guidelines”, the document said. It was signed by a manager of the shopping centre. The Local reached out to Donau Zentrum media representatives, who confirmed a threat against the centre.

“The Center Management of Westfield Donau Zentrum can confirm a threat against the center and is in ongoing communication with the relevant authorities. We are taking the situation seriously. The safety of everyone in the center is our top priority. After coordination with the authorities, the center will be open as usual today”, they said.

The Vienna police confirmed the veracity of the statement and added, “We are aware of the matter and are investigating,” they replied after an inquiry on their official social media channels. The Local reached out to the press office for further clarification but has not yet received a response.

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