A tragic incident illustrates the perfidious ability of criminals to adapt to today's technology: a senior citizen from Dortmund fell victim to manipulative phone calls from a supposed police officer and lost a considerable sum of money. Learn more about this unfortunate story and the increasing threat of phone scams.

The setting of a deplorable fraud

On Monday, July 17, 2023, a 66-year-old woman from Dortmund fell victim to a sophisticated telephone scam. Not only did she lose her hard-earned money, but she also lost her faith in the world around her.

The phone call that changed everything

An unknown caller who introduced himself as “Mr. Weber” claimed to be a police officer and called the woman with a blocked number. The drama began with the sad news that her daughter had been involved in a serious traffic accident and had been taken into police custody. In order to release her, a deposit would have to be made at the Dortmund regional court - the sum was no less than 25,000 euros.

Control through constant calls

The helpful mother gave the supposed police officer her cell phone number, a mistake she would later regret. The scammer took this opportunity to constantly call her and monitor her behavior. He put pressure on her and made sure she followed his instructions.

To further play out the drama, a “Mrs. Krug” from the police and another crying woman came forward who claimed to be the senior citizen’s daughter. The complex deception and skillful manipulation forced the woman to overlook her precautions and drive to the district court to hand over the money.

The handover

The senior citizen parked her vehicle directly at the regional courthouse. Moments later, a silver pickup truck pulled up with two men right behind her. She was informed by telephone that an employee from the court treasury would come to take the money. In good faith, she handed the money over to one of the men in the van. It was only after the phone call ended that the woman became suspicious and called her daughter, who was at home.

Call for vigilance

As a result of this incident, Dortmund police have issued a warning:

  1. Police officers never ask for bail to release a person from custody.
  2. Never give out personal information such as your marital status, phone numbers or vehicle details to strangers over the phone.
  3. Immediately end any phone call in which such requests are made.

The importance of enlightenment

Police urge people to disseminate this information and warn older people in the community who are often gullible victims of such scams. Because in a world where technology can be both a blessing and a curse, education is the best defense against such sophisticated scams.

It is up to all of us to remain vigilant and protect our loved ones. Only by sharing such stories and exposing scammers' tactics can we hope to prevent future victims of such criminal acts.

Also read: Misinformation as a decline in society

Source:

WA


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1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )