The shock runs deep for the elderly couple from Emsdetten. It all sounded so logical and credible when a man called them and told them about a terrible incident. The stranger pretended to be an officer of the law and explained that the couple's daughter had caused a fatal accident. A mother and her three children had died in the accident. And only by paying a high bail sum in the five-digit euro range could imprisonment be prevented.
Pushed hard
The couple feel under a lot of pressure. They are desperate to help their daughter. In this situation, the Emsdetten couple can no longer think clearly. They hand over the demanded amount to an unknown perpetrator at an agreed location.
This is another dramatic case that is unfortunately not an isolated incident. Time and again - and increasingly so at the moment - the Steinfurt district police authority is finding that telephone fraudsters are succeeding with various scams in which they put their victims under enormous psychological pressure.
Victims often already know the scam
What many people don't realize: Those affected are often already familiar with the telephone scams - and yet they still fall victim. They are overwhelmed by direct telephone contact with the criminals. Many describe being "incapable of acting" in the situation, feeling "remote-controlled" or "hypnotized". Victims regularly stated that they had been sure beforehand that nothing like this could happen to them. Although the scammers' tricks change all the time, the tips on how to protect yourself from telephone scams basically remain the same.
The district police authority therefore appeals: Protect yourself and your loved ones from direct contact with the perpetrator:
- Let an answering machine take all telephone calls! This will give you enough time to consult with the police or relatives in peace.
- Never call back telephone numbers that you do not know!
- Refrain from making an entry in the phone book!
- If you already have an entry, remove yourself from the phone book!
- Change your phone number if you continue to receive unwanted calls despite having removed your entry from the phone book.
- Agreet a family password with relatives!
- Use a "whitelist" (list of desired callers) for incoming calls! If necessary, ask your children or grandchildren to help you set up a "whitelist" via your telephone system!
Have you answered a call where you are unsure who is on the other end of the line:
- Interrupt the call early, simply hang up!
- If in doubt, get help from close relatives and friends!
- You have been the victim of telephone fraud: Contact the nearest police station or the police emergency number 110 and file a complaint!
The Steinfurt district police authority also offers special presentations for senior citizens on these scams, in which these and similar crimes are discussed and tips are given on how to protect yourself against these criminals.
Further prevention tips can be found here:
- Shock call: Allegedly a close relative, the granddaughter or son, is to blame for a fatal accident and a high bail must be paid to prevent imprisonment. Or a close family member is allegedly in hospital with a serious illness and only an immensely expensive drug can save their life.
- Fake police officers: Allegedly there is a series of burglaries in the neighborhood - and the alleged police officer wants to take the cash and valuables of the person called to safety.
- False promises of winnings: Allegedly the person called has won a large sum of money in a competition. In order to receive the money, a certain amount must first be transferred as transfer costs.
- Fake Microsoft employees: An alleged employee of the software company Microsoft calls because of alleged computer problems. They claim to be able to repair the damage if they receive the access rights and passwords or install certain repair software on the PC.
- Grandchild trick: An alleged close relative - for example a grandchild or niece - calls and describes an alleged financial emergency. He/she urgently needs the caller's help - in the form of a large amount of cash.
These and other scams are perfidious and unfortunately successful time and time again. That is why the district police authority repeats its warning at regular intervals. You too can help and make relatives and friends aware of the scams. So that no one can be deprived of their many years of savings.