Online daily Bors reports that two underage children swindled thousands of euros from adults in Budapest under the false pretence of being poor, not having anything to eat, and living with a very ill mother. One person even gave them 97 thousand euros.
One of the many people who were fooled by the children came front with his story and shared it with Bors. Szabolcs V. met the two children (both around the age 12) a couple of days before Christmas when they told the man that their father has abandoned them taking all of the family’s money in a really hard time. According to their story, their mother’s cardiac valve was just operated on. They asked for money, as they had to pay a 7800 forints (23 euros) electricity bill.
With the intention of helping someone instead of spending the money on useless gifts, Szabolcs gave them 8000 forints for the bills, though the kids did not stop there. They asked for more money, claiming that they need to buy a train ticket to get home from Budapest and must also buy groceries, otherwise, if the children’s protection sees that they do not have anything to eat, they will be taken from their mother. Szabolcs eventually gave them 80 euros worth in forint.
The children kept promising the man that they will pay back the money and said goodbye, but on the next day they asked for a much larger sum, for 122 euros.
Allegedly, their mother fell sick, and the medication costs a lot of money, but she needed it urgently.
The two boys devised their plan very carefully and slyly: on that same day, Szabolcs got another phone call, this time the children asked for more money to pay their debt at the electricity company. They even gave him a number to call to back up their story, but as it later turned out, another person close to the boys was involved and picked up the phone. Still, he transferred further 120 euros, happy to have been able to help.
He got a third phone call on the same day, this time concerning the power meter which had to be replaced and cost 184 euros. Szabolcs said no this time, but the children were having none of this and kept calling him on the next day, pleading for help as they were staying at a cold flat in need of his care. The man had enough by this time and contacted the police. The policeman arrived at the address the boys gave Szabolcs and found a family that had nothing to do with the boys, so Szabolcs reported the kids at the police.
With this same method, the two children got over 97 thousand euros from another man over the span of four months, while a woman gave them 7600 euros during just one month.
The police are investigating the three cases as one, regarding it as multiple frauds. Their main suspect is Dávid M. who has several accomplices.
featured image: illustration, Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára.