The fraudsters' approach is always similar in such cases, but they use different "lying stories" to deceive the victims. We publish these stories so that as many people as possible know about them and recognize the scams if they receive a fraudulent phone call and someone tells them a story like this.
Another version of false claims
In this case, too, the fraudsters posed as police officers on the phone. However, the new variant was: They claimed that there had been various cases of fraud in the senior citizen's place of residence in which bank employees were involved. In order to “convict” one of these bank employees, the victim should withdraw 6,000 euros from his account and temporarily make the notes available to the police for a forensic investigation.
The 82-year-old accepted the request, took the money from the bank and handed it over to a stranger. It wasn't until a few hours later that the senior had doubts about the story and asked the real police. There he found out that he had fallen victim to fraudsters.
The man who picked up the money was able to give the following description: around 55 to 60 years old, around 1.80 to 1.85 meters tall, strong build, Eastern European appearance. The stranger made an overall unkempt impression, had a three-day beard, wore dark trousers, dark gray outerwear and a gray-blue wool hat.
Police warning – tips to avoid fraud
The West Palatinate Police Headquarters once again makes an urgent appeal: Do not believe everything that strangers tell you on the phone - not even if they claim that they are police officers, lawyers or doctors, for example. You should definitely be suspicious if someone tries to spy on you or put you under pressure. It is best not to give any information about your living conditions or your financial situation over the phone. The best thing to do is to end the conversation and call the authority or institution specified by the caller yourself. If you have any doubts, call the police immediately. But please: Never hand over money or valuables to strangers who come to you as “messengers”!
Source:
Press portal
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