Würzburg: Fraudster pretends to be a doctor – police warn against calls!

Würzburg: Fraudster pretends to be a doctor – police warn against calls!

A devious telephone scam has caused a stir in Würzburg. A fraudster posed as Professor Kropp from the university hospital and told a worried mother that her daughter was suffering from terminal cancer. With the emotion of a tearful voice mimicking the alleged daughter, the fraudster asked the mother to order an expensive medication worth 150,000 euros. However, the caller recognized the fraud and immediately informed the police, who are already familiar with such scams. As radiogong.com reports, this is the first incident of this kind at the Würzburg University Hospital.

The police have emphasized that there is no Professor Kropp and that there will never be any demands for money over the phone at the clinic. Medical matters are discussed internally with relatives so that such machinations are quickly uncovered. Despite the previous incidents, which have also occurred in other cities, there has been no noticeable increase in cases since the corona pandemic, according to the emergency services.

Shock calls – A well-known phenomenon

The case in Würzburg joins the list of so-called shock calls, which are often aimed at putting older people under pressure. In these fraud attempts, the perpetrators present themselves as relatives or police officers and pretend that they urgently need money or something of value to solve a supposed problem. As a rule, they report alleged traffic accidents that require immediate payments or that a relative has committed a crime and one has to act quickly to pay bail. According to Polizeiberatung, victims often realize far too late that they have fallen into a fraud trap.

What is particularly worrying is that fraudsters also operate under the fear of loss and target where trust is strongest. They often succeed in causing older people to panic so that they hand over what is requested more or less without a doubt.

Protection against fraud

However, there are measures that can help protect yourself from such scams. If you receive a suspicious call, the police advise you to dial 110 and not simply call back. If the pressure becomes too much and you feel insecure, you should just hang up. A clear message is the be-all and end-all here: do not give out any personal information over the phone and, if you are unsure, call a relative using the known telephone number. These preventative tips can, in the best case scenario, prevent a financial loss from occurring.

Finally, it should be noted that the treatment of an accident victim is never dependent on prior payment. The police and experts are committed to informing the population about these frauds and strengthening trust in the legal structures.