Shock calls informing about emergency situations of grandchildren or children. Often associated with accidents or illnesses. Naturally, the relatives you call are extremely concerned and want to help. The fraudsters know very well that “common sense” often fails here and that they do the requests without thinking too much. They deliberately play with fears and worries about relatives and people close to them.
Now the Gütersloh police had a simple but effective idea to help potential victims of grandchild tricks and shock calls not to fall for these scams.
Shock call prevention: envelopes and information notices
Either alleged family members or people claiming to be police officers, judges, doctors, etc. answer the phone. In most cases, those called are asked to raise a certain amount of money as a deposit for their grandchildren or children or for urgent medical treatment. The money should be handed over in cash to someone collecting it.
The Gütersloh police have thought ahead here. If someone goes to the bank to withdraw the necessary money, no damage has been caused because the amount has not yet been handed over. And this is exactly where we ask specific questions:
- Did you withdraw this amount of money because you were called?
- Should they hand over the money today?
- Did the caller prohibit you from discussing the true purpose of the withdrawal?
- Did the caller pretend to be a family member, police officer, doctor, notary, judge, etc.?
- Should you give the money to an unknown person?
- Should you transfer something or buy a cash card?
Additionally, the note: “If you answered “yes” to two or more questions: Dial 110 immediately!”
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The use of these envelopes began at the beginning of the year in the Kreissparkasse Halle. Since this year, there have also been information notices in the lockers in this branch that are intended to warn against the grandchild trick and shock call scam.
According to the police, this has already prevented some fraud attempts. – A simple but very successful way.
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