Pensioners in Schweinfurt cheated out of their savings – police warn of fraudsters!

Pensioners in Schweinfurt cheated out of their savings – police warn of fraudsters!

Last week, a pensioner from Schweinfurt had to learn the hard way how perfidious fraudsters operate. On Tuesday afternoon he was robbed of his savings after the perpetrators made him believe that his daughter had been in a serious traffic accident. How mainpost.de According to reports, the pensioner handed over a large five-figure sum of cash on June 17th around 7 p.m. The handover took place in the Johannisgasse area in the city center, where the person collecting the goods then left in an unknown direction. According to the description, the person who picked up the car was around 170 cm tall, slim and had a dark full beard, wearing dark blue trousers and a T-shirt.

The criminal police have asked for information and are continuing to investigate this case. Anyone interested can contact us on 0931 4571732. The incident once again illustrates the dangers of so-called call center fraud, in which older people in particular are often targeted. The police have already launched several prevention campaigns to draw attention to fraud such as the “grandchild trick” or fake police officers.

Awareness campaigns should help

The prevention campaign “Leg'auf!”, which was launched in December 2020, aims to inform the population about such fraud attempts. In addition, the “I protect Grandma and Grandpa” campaign was launched in July 2022, which is specifically aimed at schools br.de explained. Police Chief Thomas Hampel emphasizes that many victims are afraid to talk about their experiences because they are ashamed of having fallen for scammers. This is a common phenomenon that can also be observed among other victims of such schemes.

The Bavarian police are already planning extensive campaigns to shed light on call center fraud. In addition to a million flyers distributed that point out the various forms of fraud, information about these topics is also provided in public places. Warnings should also be displayed on information screens in the subway and S-Bahn in order to reach even more people.

Growing threat of phone fraud

The fraudsters' methods are varied and often very subtle. The perpetrators often pose as police officers or notaries and fake winnings from competitions, which, however, involve high advance payments. According to current information from... BKA Older citizens are particularly often affected. Manipulated phone numbers ensure that even great schemes can appear trustworthy on the display.

Another frightening detail is the recruitment of “financial agents” who are encouraged to transfer the illegally obtained funds. They are often victims too – a vicious circle of fraud and naivety. The police's educational work is more important than ever, as the number of telephone fraud cases has recently fallen slightly, but the danger remains real.

It remains to be seen how the situation will develop in the coming weeks. Until then: Don't be fooled and be particularly vigilant if you receive calls from unknown numbers.