In Austria, Russian-speaking fraudsters extorted money from Ukrainians, pretending to be police officers.

In Austria, at least 19 cases have been identified where Russian-speaking fraudsters acted as police officers and tricked their victims. This was reported by the Austrian police.

The fraudsters attempted to deceive Ukrainian citizens by contacting them by phone and via WhatsApp, posing as representatives of the "Russian department of the Austrian federal police". They claimed that the victims' assets were under threat and offered a way to "protect" their money.

The fraudsters told that the Austrian national bank had created a special account for "asset protection". After transferring money to this account, the victims received a fake confirmation card from the bank.

The perpetrators also used fake Austrian police IDs, copies of Interpol search notices, and fake letters from the national bank.

The police emphasize that Austrian law enforcement never approaches citizens in Russian, via WhatsApp, or by phone to request money transfers.

Recall, according to the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russia is responsible for 80% of influence operations worldwide.