False promise of winnings: man fell victim to a telephone scam!

Because the house bank noticed the unusual account movements, the financial loss for a man over 80 years old was at least reduced. The man was the victim of a telephone scam.

The fraud began at the beginning of September. An alleged employee of a publishing house called several times by phone and promised the senior citizen a profit of up to 142,000 euros. The caller referred to existing advertising budgets of well-known large companies. He ultimately convinced his victim of the necessary investments in various items and also a so-called release payment, which the man agreed to and which cost him more than 3,000 euros.

As agreed, he initially paid part through a bank transfer. During a phone call about the outstanding balance, the fraudster somehow got his victim's account details and subsequently accessed the account several times. The house bank then noticed these account movements, which informed the customer and took immediate action. The bank has already saved its customer several thousand euros through chargebacks.

The stories of scammers on the phone are varied. The rhetorically skilled criminals seem trustworthy and they seem to have plausible explanations for all questions. No matter whether it's grandchild scammers, shock callers, fake police officers, alleged employees of some company or even profit announcements over the phone - all calls are ultimately about money. The best protection is actually to hang up immediately on unexpected calls as soon as money is ultimately involved.

Due to the current situation, the police are once again warning against telephone fraud and are giving tips and advice

  • Only those who play at all could possibly win. So if you didn't play at all, then you can't have won!
  • Reputable companies definitely do not tie profits to fees or other costs.
  • Never spend money to claim a perceived win. In particular, do not transfer any money - especially not to foreign accounts. Do not dial special numbers that are subject to charges (e.g. with the area code 0900.., 0180…, 0137….)
  • Do not buy vouchers and then submit the codes.
  • Do not press key combinations on your phone when prompted.
  • Write down the phone number shown on the display! Don't call the number back. The perpetrators use a special technology for their calls that allows a different number to be displayed on the caller ID of their victims' phones, e.g. B. the number of an authority or the police.
  • If you are called and if you have actually taken part in competitions, ask specific questions. Ask for the name, address and telephone number of the person responsible. Ask what type of competition it is and what exactly you won!
  • Never give out personal information: telephone numbers, addresses, account details, sort codes, credit card numbers or anything similar!
  • Real winnings don't cost any money!

source

Central Hesse Police Headquarters – Marburg-Biedenkopf Press Office

Also read: False promises of winnings with Google Play cards


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