Fake doctor in Salzburg: 75-year-old loses 245,000 euros!

Fake doctor in Salzburg: 75-year-old loses 245,000 euros!

A perfidious scam occurred in the Mülln district of Salzburg on Friday, October 11, 2025, in which a 75-year-old woman from Vienna lost over 245,000 euros in gold coins. The alleged perpetrators posed as doctors and used a sophisticated scam to get hold of the unsuspecting senior citizen's assets. Loud Salzburg24 The elderly lady was contacted by telephone and it was claimed that her daughter was in the hospital and urgently needed medication worth 200,000 euros.

The situation began when the woman, who was in Upper Austria at the time, drove to Salzburg at short notice to hand over the requested amount. On site she handed over gold coins to an alleged messenger. The total damage amounts to almost 245,000 euros - a heavy loss for the senior citizen affected. According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, this form of fraud is becoming increasingly common, with fraudsters often posing as doctors in order to demand large sums of money for medication.

Warning about scams

Older people in particular are often the target of such scams. The Federal Consumer Assistance highlights that seniors are particularly vulnerable due to their confidence and financial stability. Current statistics show a worrying increase in fraud cases: from January to May 2024, elder fraud losses totaled a whopping $1.6 billion. These numbers illustrate the urgency of educating older people about such schemes.

The experts recommend numerous preventive measures: It is important never to hand over money or jewelry to strangers and always seek direct contact with relatives before making payments. Suspicious conversations should be ended immediately and, if in doubt, the police can be contacted on 133.

Increasing threat

An investigation by VPNRanks shows that over 101,000 older people fell victim to fraud in 2023, which is alarming compared to just 18,000 younger victims. Financial losses from elder fraud increased from $600 million in 2018 to $3.4 billion in 2023. If this trend continues, the loss could even rise to about $4.47 billion by 2025.

The most common forms of fraud include not only medical fraud, but also tech support and investment scams, which result in the highest losses. Experts therefore call for a high level of awareness and preventive strategies to protect older people from such machinations.

The recent incidents in Salzburg clearly show how important it is to make older relatives aware of such fraud. Family members should be on guard and take preventive measures to protect their loved ones.