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Fraud in horticulture: pensioner uncovers dubious rip-offs!
In the Weilheim-Schongau district, the police are investigating a horticultural company for fraud and usury. Looking for witnesses.
Fraud in horticulture: pensioner uncovers dubious rip-offs!
Dubious offers from the horticultural sector have recently caused a stir. The police are investigating a horticultural company that is misleading numerous citizens in Bavaria and demanding large amounts of money. A particularly attentive 76-year-old man from Hofheim, Paul-Gerhard Berndt, was able to uncover an attempted fraud and thereby save others from financial loss. The entire situation brings to light the dark rooms of fraud in Germany.
The company under investigation wanted to charge a full 10,000 euros in advance for gardening work. The fraud came to light when Berndt discovered during an initial phone call that the employees didn't even know where Hofheim was located. That's quite a piece, isn't it? The workers submitted a cost estimate of 14,000 euros, but Berndt was able to reduce it to 10,000 euros. A deposit of 30 percent was required immediately upon signing the contract, followed by a further 30 percent at the start of work.
The fraudster's scam
The aggressiveness of the employees increased when Berndt explained that he wanted to discuss the decision with his wife first. This escalation led to workers leaving the property. However, Berndt didn't let the whole thing go and informed the police, who initially couldn't help. Instead, the alert retiree did his own research and discovered that the company address provided was just a shell company.
Similar incidents are increasing in the Weilheim-Schongau district, where an elderly couple also fell victim to usury. Here the son of the affected family called the police after massive deposits were demanded. The police are now looking for other victims and are warning about this particular scam, in which, in several cases, large cash payments were demanded for alleged gardening work. Interestingly, in this case it also turned out that the “company” does not carry out any real work, but is simply out to rip off people. Other affected people can contact the police on 0881/640-0.
A look at the fraud statistics
Despite the frightening developments, it should be mentioned that overall fraud crime in Germany has experienced a slight decline. According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, there were a total of 743,472 registered cases of fraud in 2024, which corresponds to a decrease of 1.5 percent compared to the previous year. What's even more interesting is that around 55.3 percent of all fraud crimes are committed over the Internet, a number that has fallen but remains worrying.
The police and law enforcement authorities are committed to combating these criminal activities and are relying on international cooperation and preventive measures. It is advisable to always be suspicious, to question quick transfers of money and not to pass on sensitive information to strangers.
These incidents show once again how important it is to be vigilant and, if in doubt, to ask more questions. Anyone who receives a dubious offer should not hesitate to inform the authorities and seek help. Further information on the fraud cases and current tips can be found in the reports from tz.de, sueddeutsche.de and bka.de.