Viennese loses 790,000 euros to alleged love scammer – 30-year-old arrested

The woman is now being held in a correctional facility. Investigators accuse her of having contacted the 62-year-old via the internet and, over the course of the contact, pretended a romantic relationship. „Sie gab an, in ein Kosmetikstudio und in Wohnprojekt investieren zu wollen", explained a police spokesperson.

During the course of the contact, the 30-year-old is said to have deliberately exploited the man's trust and thus moved him to make ever new transfers. Initial payments had already been made in 2024, as the investigations show. Over a period of almost two years, the damage is said to have grown to more than 790,000 euros.

Pretended love and high damages

Police classify the case as particularly serious fraud. „Dem Opfer ist ein unglaublicher Schaden von mehr als 790.000 Euro entstanden", the police report. Investigators at the Western Branch spoke after the arrest of an investigative success that had only been possible through the intensive cooperation of several units.

Love scam is a form of online fraud in which perpetrators build up an apparent romantic relationship with their victims over weeks or months. The aim is to gain the trust of those affected and then ask them for money – often with made-up stories about emergencies, investments or shared future plans.

What love scam means

The scheme is not new, but the specific case in Vienna stands out due to the amount of the damage. More than 790,000 euros that a single victim is said to have transferred within around two years is well above the average of comparable cases. Police are not providing any information on whether the money can be recovered.

The investigations against the 30-year-old are ongoing. The public prosecutor's office will decide on the further course of action based on the findings so far. After her arrest, the woman has been transferred to a correctional facility; a date for any possible main trial has not yet been set.

Why victims pay for so long

Victims of love scams often only file a report once they have already transferred large sums. According to criminal investigators, the inhibition threshold is particularly high because those affected feel ashamed and do not want to accept the deception for a long time. In the current Viennese case as well, the 62-year-old had apparently been paying over an extended period before the investigations got underway.

The Vienna Police refer in this context to existing advisory services. Those affected can contact, among others, the Criminal Police Advisory Service, which provides free and anonymous information about risks on the internet and about possible first steps after a case of fraud. The complaints office of the Federal Ministry of the Interior is also available as a point of contact.

The arrest in Vienna-Leopoldstadt is part of a series of investigative successes against suspected online fraudsters that have become known in Austria in recent months. The authorities emphasise that cross-border investigations in such cases are particularly complex because perpetrators often operate from abroad or at least pretend to live abroad.

Possible penalties and investigations

In the current case, the suspect is a Romanian national. Whether the woman actually operated from Romania or acted from Austria is part of the ongoing investigations. Police do not rule out that further victims will be identified.

The amount of the damage also makes the case relevant for the judiciary. With fraud damages of more than 790,000 euros, the accused faces severe penalties if convicted. The range of penalties – depending on the interpretation of particularly serious cases – extends up to ten years' imprisonment.

For investigators, the case is also an example of how important tips from the circle of those affected are. Relatives and friends who notice unusual transfers should, according to police recommendations, contact the nearest police station directly. Banks are also required to ask questions about atypical transactions.

Police prevention tips

The Vienna Police announced that they would continue to inform the public about the methods of love scammers. Prevention is a central building block in protecting future victims. This also includes not passing on personal data or financial information to strangers on the internet.

The case exemplifies how professionally and patiently perpetrators operate. Over months, an emotional dependency is built up before financial demands are made. Police advise being particularly cautious with online acquaintances that quickly become very personal and soon entail demands for money.

Until the investigations are concluded, the presumption of innocence applies to the 30-year-old. The authorities emphasise that the arrest was made on the basis of extensive investigations and that the further legal processing of the case now lies ahead.