The current crime statistics for the Lilienfeld district are available. This shows a slight increase in crimes. 930 offenses were reported, 19.5 percent more than in the previous year. There were 778 crimes.
What is encouraging, however, is that the clearance rate is around five percent above the national average. In 2023, 57.2 percent of cases were solved (2022: 54.9 percent). Nationwide, 52.7 percent of crimes were solved in 2023 (2022: 53.6 percent).
What the executive branch has been increasingly concerned with lately is cybercrime offenses. These do not stop at the Lilienfeld district, as society is becoming more and more socially networked. And not everyone who uses the World Wide Web has good things in mind. “We can assume that the number of crimes is higher here, because unfortunately not everyone who falls victim to a cybercrime crime dares to report it – often out of shame,” says district police commander Michael Hochgerner.
Older people in particular transfer money to fraudsters without questioning it
Thomas Haider, a long-time IT district data investigator, points out the variety of different IT crimes. One of them is the daughter-son/or Grandchildren accident trick. Around seven cases were reported in the district alone, with an average property damage of 2,000 to 6,000 euros. An SMS or WhatsApp is sent to men and women, mostly middle-aged or older. Content: The daughter or son/grandson had an accident and now has to pay a deposit to avoid prison. “Unfortunately, the injured parties usually transferred the money without questioning whether it was even true,” says Haider. Parents and grandparents are often inclined to want to help their children or grandchildren. This is shamelessly exploited by criminals.
Various order fraud crimes where goods are never delivered are also common. Citizens have also been harmed by fictitious aid projects, such as an 88-year-old who transferred 28,000 euros to an alleged medical aid project in Uganda. The “Microsoft” scammers have also been on the internet and on the phone for years. They pretend they have to repair something on the PC. They install spy software on the computer and thus obtain account data.
Sextortion: Blackmail with nude photos is on the rise
Between 6,000 and 150,000 euros of damage in the district was caused by cyber trading, a fraudulent form of online trading. The providers trade alleged investments in cryptocurrencies, but also with stocks and investments. “A broker then supposedly manages the money,” says Haider. However, those affected do not make any tempting promised profits; on the contrary: large sums that are advanced are then irretrievably lost.
“Sextortion” is also becoming more and more common. Users can be persuaded to send naked pictures of themselves or videos of themselves performing sexual acts on themselves to supposed friends on social networks. “Then they threaten that these pictures will be published if no money is transferred. “Sometimes the pictures actually get published,” says Haider. Here several citizens in the district became victims, there was material damage of several hundred euros per person and mostly there was also shame about what had happened.
Fake police officers were also active in the district. These act under various pretexts, for example calling out that e.g. B was broken into nearby and a police officer would come by to pick up valuables so he could keep them safe. A Gölsental woman (84) handed over her jewelry and cash to a fake officer.
Cannabis, cocaine and crystal meth are seized
Drug-related crime is always an issue in the district. During a house search last year, 700 grams of cannabis herb and 160 grams of cocaine were found in the hands of the perpetrator and 17 buyers were reported. “The primary addictive substances seized are cannabis products. “Sometimes it’s synthetic drugs like crystal meth,” notes a poison investigator. In total, there were 104 reports of drug-related crime in the district in 2023. “It should be noted that this is a control offense. The more the police investigative work is invested, the more is incurred – as a result, our investigators have had very good success,” notes district police commander Hochgerner.
He is pleased by the decline in vehicle thefts and cellar break-ins. However, residential building burglaries increased from two to seven incidents, while residential burglaries remained the same with one case each. “Here we would like to point out once again that we as the police are available around the clock, seven days a week and ask that you report anything suspicious immediately,” reminds Hochgerner. His team is always present in the field as a preventive measure, especially at dusk.
Damage to buildings, such as through graffiti, fell from 18 to twelve reported crimes. Damage to vehicles has increased from 39 to 57 incidents.
A topic that is increasingly concerning the district is social benefit fraud (SOLBE). For this purpose, the police have installed a special competence team in the district (as in some other crime groups). This works closely with various institutions such as the employment service or tax office. A networking meeting was recently held in the district in order to combat this form of fraud even more efficiently (The NÖN reported).
2024-03-31 22:00:00