Fraudsters steal money and jewellery from 90-year-old woman in Wimmelburg
In the Mansfeld-Südharzer town of Wimmelburg, a pensioner fell victim to a grandparent scam. A fake police officer rang her and persuaded her to put her valuables in a pot and place it outside her door.
Fraudsters steal money and jewellery from 90-year-old woman in Wimmelburg
A 90-year-old resident of Wimmelburg became the victim of an elaborate fraud on Thursday, 11 June 2026. During the afternoon, an unknown person contacted the pensioner by telephone and posed as a police officer.
The caller told the woman that several burglars had been arrested in the area. However, one suspect was still not in custody. To protect her assets from possible thieves, she should put all her cash and all her jewellery in a cooking pot and place it outside her front door. Allegedly, genuine police officers would keep the valuables safe.
The defrauded woman complied with the request. Shortly after, a man in a kind of uniform arrived at her flat, grabbed the pot and ran off. He moved on foot in the direction of the local NORMA supermarket. The stolen goods included an unspecified sum of money and several pieces of jewellery.
Subsequently, the fraudster called the victim again. This time she was supposed to go to her bank by taxi and withdraw more cash. However, the bank branch employees became suspicious and stopped the operation before further losses could occur.
Police are searching for a male suspect with dark brown, short hair. His height is estimated at approximately 1.70 to 1.75 metres, with a slender build. His appearance is classified as Western European. The man's age is unclear.
Officers from the Mansfeld-Südharz police station are asking people who noticed anything unusual after 2 pm on the afternoon of the crime in the Schulstraße area or the car park at the shopping centre in Wimmelburg to contact them on 03475/670-293. Anyone who saw a man carrying a cooking pot is asked to provide information.
Source: Polizei Sachsen-Anhalt
Source: Google News DE — Crime (de)