Senior woman from Bamberg hands over money to fraudsters – warning of further calls

BAM­BERG. On Thursday afternoon, previously unknown fraudsters stole several tens of thousands of euros in cash from an elderly woman in Bamberg, who on the phone first posed as the victim’s daughter, later as a police officer and public prosecutor. The Bamberg criminal police have started the investigation and warn of this scam.

On Thursday morning, a crook called a pensioner and pretended to be her daughter. In the conversation, she reported on a serious accident that she had caused and now has to pay bail. To make her story more believable, she gave the phone to other scammers posing as police officers and prosecutors. The shocked pensioner then handed over her cash to an unknown collector between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. near the court on Herzog-Max-Straße. When the money was handed over, the elderly woman remained seated in her vehicle. When the woman finally had doubts about the facts described, she contacted the Bamberg police, who informed her about the fraud. So far there is no trace of the perpetrators.

The picker is described as follows:

• About 20 years old
• Between 160 centimeters and 165 centimeters tall
• Slim, tanned skin
• Wearing a mint green jacket
• She was wearing a dark blue FFP2 mask
• She was carrying a large black leather handbag

The Bamberg Criminal Investigation Department has started the investigation and is asking for information about the person who was picking you up on tel. no. 0951/9129-491.

With this nasty scam, strangers are currently trying to deceive people all over Upper Franconia and take their savings.

The Upper Franconian police are therefore warning again of this brazen scam and advise:

• Always be suspicious of calls concerning your financial and/​or personal situation.
• Do not provide any information about this and end the conversation immediately.
• Real police officers will never ask you to hand over money!
• Don’t let yourself be pressured in terms of time or emotionally.
• If in doubt, call the police station yourself and have them confirm the operation.
• In urgent cases, dial the emergency number 110!