Danger! Fake police steal money in Welzheim – who saw anything?

Danger! Fake police steal money in Welzheim – who saw anything?

On Wednesday evening, July 2, 2025, a serious case of fraud occurred in Welzheim in the Rems-Murr district. A woman who lives in a residential area in the south of the city received a call from a supposed police officer who identified himself as “Mr. Stein” from the criminal investigation department. According to Zvw.de, the caller claimed that the woman was on a list of a criminal Roma gang.

During the conversation, the caller explained that the gang had a device that was able to scan security strips in banknotes. Because of this fictitious threat, the woman was made to put her cash in a stainless steel container. They had to follow these measures on the phone for several hours until the conversation finally led to another tragic incident.

Fraud with audacity

During the course of the telephone conversation, the woman let an alleged colleague of “Mr. Stein” into her apartment. This person, who was acting as a collector, then stole the pot with the cash and disappeared. The woman who picked up the car was described as follows: She was around 35 to 40 years old, was around 1.75 meters tall, had a corpulent build, European appearance, straight blonde hair and was wearing knee-length red trousers and a white T-shirt. This incident once again shows the audacity with which fraudsters act to harm citizens who believe in good faith, as Schwäbische Post reports.

The police are now looking for witnesses who made observations between 8 p.m. and midnight on July 2, 2025. Concrete information can be reported by calling (07361) 5800. This incident reminds us of the need to educate older people in particular about such scams in order to prevent them from suffering financial damage.

Prevention and awareness

Police authorities emphasize the importance of educating older family members or acquaintances to inform them of fake police contacts and similar scams. It is essential to remain calm in such cases and to contact the real authorities immediately if you receive calls from alleged officials. The information disseminated in these cases is often highly manipulative methods designed to gain the trust of victims and mislead them.

Police are appealing to the public to remain vigilant and not to give any personal information or cash to unknown people. The incident here is a clear indication that such scams can occur not only in urban areas, but throughout Germany.