82-year-old in Sindelfingen: Shock call costs her a six-figure sum!

82-year-old in Sindelfingen: Shock call costs her a six-figure sum!

In a shocking scam, an 82-year-old woman from Sindelfingen fell victim to a so-called shock call on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. Fraudsters posing as police officers and judges claimed that the elderly woman's daughter had caused a fatal traffic accident. In order to avoid their daughter's alleged pre-trial detention, the perpetrators demanded a high bail.

The manipulation went so far that a person pretending to be her daughter convinced the 82-year-old to comply with the demands. In the early evening, the senior citizen handed over cash and precious metals worth a six-figure amount to a supposed employee of the district court. According to the investigations carried out so far Tixio The police are now looking for the perpetrators and are asking the public for information.

Scam: Shock calls are common

Shock calls are not just a problem in Sindelfingen. Loud Police advice This is a common scam in which callers pretend to be relatives or police officers. The aim of these calls is to persuade the person being called to hand over money or valuables. The fraudsters often report a traffic accident that requires immediate medical care for a relative, which has to be paid for in cash.

Another common tactic used by scammers is to claim that a relative caused an accident or committed a crime for which bail must be posted immediately. Due to the time pressure created, they put the victims under pressure to force quick decisions. The injured parties often only realize too late that they have become victims of fraud.

Protective measures against shock calls

Police advise people to be particularly careful, especially with older people, who are often the targets of such schemes. The following protective measures should be taken into account:

• Bei Unsicherheit immer die Nummer 110 wählen und nicht die Rückruftaste verwenden.
• Auflegen, wenn man sich unter Druck gesetzt fühlt.
• Vertraute unter der bekannten Nummer anrufen, um die Situation zu klären.
• Keine persönlichen oder finanziellen Informationen am Telefon preisgeben.
• Kein Geld oder Wertsachen an unbekannte Personen übergeben.
• Eine Vertrauensperson hinzuziehen oder die Polizei verständigen.

It is important to emphasize that the treatment of an accident victim can never be made dependent on prior payment. Relatives should urgently protect themselves from such scams and, if in doubt, critically question what is being said on the phone.