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Be vigilant in Goslar: Passers-by save senior from brazen telephone fraud!
In Goslar, an attempt to defraud an 89-year-old man was thwarted by attentive passers-by. Police warn of shock calls.
Be vigilant in Goslar: Passers-by save senior from brazen telephone fraud!
On Wednesday afternoon in Goslar, an attempted fraud was thwarted thanks to the quick action of vigilant passers-by. An 89-year-old resident from the Georgenberg district was the target of a so-called shock call. The fraudsters posed as doctors and claimed that his son urgently needed an operation. In this supposed emergency, the senior actually agreed to a five-figure payment and was supposed to hand the money over to a messenger.
But two passers-by, aged 22 and 35, noticed the suspect when the 89-year-old came out of his apartment with a wallet. They spoke to him and questioned the ominous person picking him up, which caused the alleged perpetrator to quickly flee. This quick reaction prevented financial loss for the senior, who could easily have become a victim in such a situation.
This is how scammers work
Shock calls are a recurring problem, especially for older people. As sueddeutsche.de reports, the perpetrators act extremely professionally and specifically. They often pose as police officers, prosecutors or doctors and make seniors believe that their relatives are in distress, such as an alleged fatal accident.
The scammers' tricks are varied. They put victims under pressure to pay high bail in order to allegedly avoid imprisonment. In other cases, they report gangs of burglars in the neighborhood and claim that the seniors have to hand over money and jewelry as security because they are on a damage list. Once these collectors have the money in their hands, they disappear without a trace.
A call for vigilance
The police have drawn attention to the incident and are issuing important behavioral instructions for all citizens: Distrust should always be exercised when calling from alleged police officers, doctors or other officials. In Germany, there is no deposit payment outside of official channels. Surgical costs are never paid in cash, and police or other authorities do not send messengers demanding money.
Anyone who notices such suspicious actions or falls victim to a shock call should contact the police immediately on (05321) 3390. The police are also calling on all citizens to be vigilant and to report information about suspicious people or vehicles in the Trebnitzer Platz and Hoher Brink area.
Stay vigilant, stay informed and don't let professional fraudsters fool you. The safety of our senior citizens should always be our top priority.