timetable
The police and the Salzburg magistrate are now warning of a scam involving shiny but worthless gold rings, which have been used repeatedly in the provincial capital for months. The supposed discoverers immediately give the rings to passers-by and expect donations in return.
Strangers roam the pedestrian areas of Salzburg, pretending to have just found gems and passing them on for some cash. Bystanders later bring the supposedly valuable rings – hoping for a finder’s reward – to the Lost and Found office in Salzburg, says department head Michael Duhacek, describing the course of the scam.
The supposed ring finders often pretend to be Ukrainian refugees and try to get sympathy. Duhacek says the scam is working. Gold-colored rings have no material or even artistic value. “It turns out they’re just brass rings, and they’re really of no value.”
Police: getting rich by deception is a scam
The police also warn of the scam. “If someone has enriched themselves by deliberate deception about the value of something, it is almost certainly fraud,” says police spokesman Hans Wolfgruber. The quality of the scam is shown by the countless brass rings that were delivered to the lost and found office in Mirabell Palace.
More Stories
Sylvia Schneider in Ireland is on the Halloween trail
»Festival de la Chasse«: a gastronomic event about fishing and regional cuisine
Salma Hayek's strategy for staying financially independent