12.08.2024 – 11:31
Ulm Police Headquarters
Ulm (ots)
At around 1 p.m. the woman’s phone rang. A fraudster pretended that her brother had caused an accident in which someone had died. In order to buy her brother, who was supposedly in custody, out on bail, he demanded money and gold. The alleged police officer sent a pickup to the woman’s address in the Schnaitheim district. At around 1.30 p.m. the elderly woman handed over gold bars and cash to an unknown pickup. The pickup was said to be a slim man, around 18 years old and around 175 cm tall. He had short, brown hair and was dressed entirely in dark clothing. In the evening the victim realized the fraud and filed a report. The Heidenheim Criminal Investigation Department (Tel. 07321/322-432) has begun investigations. During the course of Friday there were further so-called “shock calls” in Heidenheim and Königsbronn, but no money or gold was handed over.
The police point out that you can protect yourself from telephone fraudsters. In the meantime, there are many different ways in which fraudsters try to get the money of the people they call. Fraudsters often pretend to be relatives on the phone, usually daughters, sons or grandchildren, or a police officer or lawyer entrusted with a case, and fake an emergency situation. The callers report, for example, about a traffic accident as a result of which a family member must be operated on immediately. However, the operation can only be carried out if it is paid for in cash beforehand. This procedure is called a “shock call”. But fake employees of software companies, fake police officers or the so-called “grandchild trick” are also intended to persuade older people to hand over money or other valuables and jewelry or to make transfers. In many cases, the people called see through the fraud schemes and the fraudsters get nothing. Unfortunately, people also fall for fraudsters again and again and lose their assets. The police crime prevention department explains how everyone can protect themselves from fraud. It gives the following basic behavioral tips:
– Do not allow yourself to be put under pressure on the phone. – Put the phone down. If you do not allow yourself to be drawn into a conversation, you cannot be misled. – Be suspicious of requests for money or personal information. – Be sure to hang up first! Only then dial 110 yourself and explain the situation. – Do not talk about your personal or financial circumstances on the phone. – The fraudsters mainly look for first names in telephone directories that indicate older people. If you want to reduce the risk of such calls, you should have your name removed from the public directories or arrange for your first name to be abbreviated. – Consult with your family or people you trust. – Never give money or valuables to strangers. – Please pass these tips on to your family and friends.
You can find important tips on protecting yourself from telephone fraudsters in the brochure “Beware of rip-offs!”. You can find this at your local police station or on the Internet at www.polizei-beratung.de.
In order to further raise awareness of the issue of telephone fraud, the police, together with the state prevention agency, have produced a ten-part series of clips in which the police successively explain the various scams. (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHlto8FZiDxtThWg_QGl0xlDImmVjebf8)
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Thomas Hagel, Ulm Police Headquarters, Tel. 0731/188-1111
Please direct any queries to:
Ulm Police Headquarters
Phone: 0731/188-1111
E-Mail: ulm.pp@polizei.bwl.de
Original content from: Ulm Police Headquarters, transmitted by news aktuell
