Senior woman in Munich: Fake police officer steals valuables in pots!

Senior woman in Munich: Fake police officer steals valuables in pots!

The increase in fraud cases that specifically target older people is evident once again in Munich. A woman over 80 years old from Ludwigsvorstadt became the victim of a sophisticated call center fraud. On Tuesday afternoon, August 12, she received a call from scammers posing as police officers. They informed the senior citizen that there had been an increase in break-ins in her neighborhood and that they needed to test a special device.

“You should put your valuables in pots in front of the door so that we can use them during testing,” was the caller’s attentive request. The elderly woman, believing she was helping authorities, placed jewelry, cash and bank cards in pots. A short time later, her valuables, which amounted to a five-figure amount, were missing. Frightened, she called the police via emergency call and filed a report. Commissariat 61 has now taken over the investigation and is asking for the help of witnesses.

Focus on scams

In the current case, the perpetrators were active through a typical scam in which they gain the trust of older people in order to steal money and valuables. According to the Federal Consumer Assistance Seniors in particular are often the target of such fraud attempts, be it through the so-called “grandchild trick”, in which supposed grandchildren need money for urgent purposes, or through shock calls in the native language intended to gain the trust of seniors.

A particularly dangerous scam is calling fake police officers, as happened in the current case. Experts advise: “Be suspicious if a caller takes valuables from you, because the police do not keep items.” Questions should always be asked about the identity of callers to ensure that they are not scammers.

Prevention measures for seniors

To protect seniors from such attacks, raising awareness is crucial. The Care assistance for seniors gives valuable tips: It is advisable to be skeptical about unknown calls, not to make decisions under pressure and to report suspicious calls to the police. Awareness of your own valuables should also be raised so that they are not put at unnecessary risk.

The Munich police are now actively looking for witnesses who may have made observations in the area of ​​Bavariaring, Güllstrasse and Stielerstrasse around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Suspicious perceptions should be reported immediately to the police headquarters or another police station in order to stop the perpetrators.

In times of increasing fraud, it is important to stick together and inform each other to protect older people. Fraudulent behavior has no place in our society!