Breda resident (19) defrauds elderly woman of 44,000 euros: ‘Or I will shoot you dead’ | BredaToday

By means of: Olaf Knook

Wed Nov 8, 6:00 PM

General

BREDA – A 19-year-old boy from Breda has defrauded an elderly woman of more than 44,000 euros by pretending to be a bank employee. He was a minor at the time of the crime. Moreover, he entered the house of the single woman in Tilburg. There he threatened the woman and shouted: “Give me your phone or I will shoot you.”

The criminal case was heard behind closed doors in the Breda court at the end of October. The verdict came yesterday, and was made public today. The crime took place two years ago between September 23 and October 5. At the time, the suspect was only 17 years old.

The minor called the elderly woman and pretended to be an employee of the bank. He convinced her that criminals had attempted to withdraw money from her account.

Invite into your home

The single woman trusted him and invited him to her home in Tilburg. He was in there for several hours. In the woman’s house, the suspect had an accomplice on the phone who also posed as a bank employee.

The Breda boy created accounts on LiteBit and Coinbase, two cryptocurrency platforms, on the woman’s laptop. He then transferred money from the woman’s bank account to multiple accounts and the accounts on these platforms. A total of 44,127 euros was involved. After all these actions, the suspect left the woman’s home with an excuse.

Threatened with ‘firearm’

A few days after the scam, the suspect discovered that he could not access the money in the LiteBit account. He needed a verification code sent by text message to the woman’s cell phone. The suspect then returned to the woman’s house in Tilburg.

He entered the home and threatened the woman with an object that resembled a firearm. The underage boy would shoot the elderly woman if she did not give her phone. The suspect then left the house with the victim’s phone. The woman was injured during this robbery.

Youth detention

The suspect has been arrested in Germany. The Breda court found the 19-year-old boy guilty of complicity in fraud and theft with violence and threats. The Breda resident receives a prison sentence of 14 months. This took his age into account, because he was a minor when the crime was committed.

In addition, he still has a suspended prison sentence outstanding in another case, part of which he must also serve. Finally, he must pay the elderly woman compensation of 2,500 euros for the emotional damage she has suffered. The ruling does not state where the stolen amount of more than 44,000 euros is currently.