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The fraudster behind the shock calls is in custody – senior citizens are being robbed!
A 35-year-old fraudster from Vechta is in custody after a shocking call. She cheated seniors out of money.
The fraudster behind the shock calls is in custody – senior citizens are being robbed!
A recently arrested fraudster is causing a stir in Neuenkirchen-Vörden. A 35-year-old suspect has been in custody for a short time because of her actions. How OM Online According to reports, the arrest warrant was issued after a particularly brazen shock phone call in February. In this case, the suspect contacted an 86-year-old woman and posed as a relative whose daughter was allegedly in mortal danger.
The scam is not new, but it is extremely perfidious: The fraudsters claim that urgent medical measures are needed and must be financed immediately. The affected senior citizen believed the perpetrator and then transferred money. A 71-year-old in the Coburg area also fell for the same trick. The police suspect that the 35-year-old was involved in five other similar acts in the last few months and posed as a “money collector” in four federal states.
Fraud attempts are increasing
This behavior is part of a larger trend in Germany, as we live in a time when shock calls and other scams, particularly against seniors, are on the rise. The South Courier recently listed several similar cases. For example, a senior citizen in Überlingen gave a six-figure sum over a shock call about her daughter's accident. There were also several incidents in Ravensburg in which fraudulent callers pretended to be doctors in order to steal money.
Police are finding it increasingly difficult to contain the rise in these fraud attempts. This is often done through clever conversation in order to obtain information from the victims. Even during the coronavirus pandemic, scammers adapted their tactics and posed as professionals supposedly helping to combat COVID-19.
Tips to protect yourself from fraud
Given this alarming situation, caution is advised. The police and experts recommend various protective measures for seniors. How Nursing assistance for seniors recommends that older people should be careful when demanding money over the phone. A conversation should be ended immediately if money is demanded. Instead, it is advisable to contact relatives for verification and not make payments to unknown people.
- Vorsicht bei zunächst harmlosen Gesprächen.
- Verwandte informieren, um die Wahrheit zu bestätigen.
- Verdächtige Anrufe umgehend der Polizei melden.
Another effective tip is to ignore unknown numbers and, if in doubt, contact the police on the emergency number 110. If you are unsure, relatives or bank employees can help.
Raising older people's awareness of such scams is crucial to giving them the tools they need to recognize and defend against these attacks. As current incidents show, they can affect anyone and cause significant financial and emotional damage.