Fraudsters relieve Bielefeld pensioner of cash and debit card
An elderly man in Bielefeld fell victim to a fraud scheme similar to the grandparent scam. A fake bank employee called, and an alleged police officer collected the money.
Fraudsters relieve Bielefeld pensioner of cash and debit card
A pensioner from the Ummeln district of Bielefeld was deprived of his savings and his bank card on 20 June 2026. Two unknown individuals had previously made contact by telephone and presented a false story.
The call came on Saturday around midday. A man posed as an employee of the victim's bank. He claimed that the branch had issued counterfeit notes in the recent past. The pensioner confirmed that he had recently withdrawn money. The purported banker then asked him to read out the numbers on the notes. In this way, the perpetrator learned how much cash was in the victim's house.
In the next step, the caller explained that among the man's money there were forged notes. An officer would therefore come by to exchange the notes. Shortly afterwards, a second man rang the doorbell at the house on Lennestraße. He showed a forged identification document and took receipt of the pensioner's cash and debit card.
During the handover, the telephone call with the first fraudster remained connected. He repeatedly assured the victim that the man at the door was a real police officer and that he should hand over the money without hesitation.
The second perpetrator is described as approximately 45 years old, tall and overweight. He had black, short, straight hair and was dressed entirely in black clothing – presumably a sweatshirt, jogging trousers and trainers.
Criminal Investigation Department 15 in Bielefeld is investigating and is asking witnesses for their assistance. The police are accepting information on 0521/545-0.
The authorities are warning once again about this method: genuine police never collect cash or valuables from private individuals in order to "secure" or exchange them. Anyone who is put under pressure on the telephone should hang up immediately and not provide any information about account balances or valuables.
Source: Radio Bielefeld
Source: Google News DE — Crime (de)