Safe in everyday life: Lecture on Internet and grandchild fraud in Celle

Safe in everyday life: Lecture on Internet and grandchild fraud in Celle

Internet crime in Germany has increased steadily in recent years. The trend shows that both industrial companies and private households are increasingly affected by this. In Celle, for example, the police receive around 35 reports every day, which reflects a worrying trend. Such criminal cases usually cause not only financial damage, but also psychological stress for the victims. This illustrates the relevance of preventive measures against such dangers.

Cosima Bauer, the crime prevention officer at the Celle police station, will give a lecture on this topic at the KULTURTREFF-SPEZIAL in the Alte Töpferei. The event will take place on June 19th and check-in begins at 7:00 p.m. From 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., those interested can expect solutions and information on cybercrime as well as everyday dangers such as the grandchild trick or shock calls. Admission is free, donations are made to the “Kulturtreff auf dem Land e.V.” association. are, however, very welcome. Registrations are possible by email or telephone.

A general problem

The challenges posed by the grandchild trick and shock calls are not only local but also international. It is estimated that older people in Germany lost hundreds of thousands of euros last year due to these fraudulent methods. Fraud groups use fabricated stories to put pressure on their victims. The German police have therefore recognized the need to get international support in the fight against this form of crime. A conference organized by the Berlin State Criminal Police Office (LKA) recently took place in Teltow (Brandenburg), where prosecutors and criminal police from different countries came together to develop common strategies.

The numbers demonstrate the extent of the problem: Last year, 6,656 cases of grandchild fraud were reported across Germany, of which only 1,527 were solved. There were also almost 1,100 identified suspects and several thousand cases of fake police officers or officials. The total damage amounts to several million euros, although the number of unreported cases is probably even higher. Older people are often targeted victims because they often live alone and the fraudsters are targeted specifically.

International cooperation

In Germany, cooperation between the different federal states is now working well. Especially in the international context, it is clear that the pressure on the perpetrators, who often operate from Eastern European countries, is increasing. Thanks to cross-border investigations, many gangs were broken up, which is why in Berlin, for example, a 50 percent decrease in crimes was recorded in 2024 compared to the previous year.

The current conference was part of an EU-funded project dealing with the fight against cross-border organized crime. A total of around 25 countries are affected, and it is becoming increasingly clear that perpetrators do not only operate from Germany, but also form a widely linked structure of organized family groups. Money, power and luxury are the main motivations of these perpetrators, and it is obvious that this crime is often passed down from generation to generation in the affected families.