Phone fraud in Paderborn district: elderly couple hands over large sum of money to unknown person
A 91 and 92-year-old married couple in Paderborn district fell victim to phone fraud. The perpetrators used the grandchild trick and obtained a large sum of money.
Grandchild trick in Paderborn district: pensioners pressured on phone for hours
An elderly couple from Paderborn district became victims of phone fraud on Tuesday, 16 June. According to radiohochstift.de, citing Paderborn District Police, the couple handed over a large sum of money to an unknown caller at their front door around midday.
The crime began between 7.50 am and 12.30 pm. Unknown perpetrators called the 91 and 92-year-old married couple on their landline in the morning and claimed that their granddaughter had caused a traffic accident. A pregnant woman had been injured and needed emergency surgery – money was urgently needed for this. Additionally, they said a bail payment could prevent the granddaughter from being held in custody.
The perpetrators kept the pensioners on the phone for several hours, applied massive pressure and exploited the uncertainty of the victims. The call was interrupted several times and continued from different telephone numbers. At one point, the pensioners were connected to alleged government officials. According to police, it was notable that the callers knew private family details about the couple.
Around midday, the couple finally handed over a large sum of money at their front door to an unknown caller who introduced himself as "Arthur" and spoke Russian. The person was male and aged 30 to 40 years old. He wore a blue jacket, dark blue jeans and a dark blue cap. The man was approximately 1.65 metres tall and of average build.
Paderborn District Police appeal to the public to repeatedly warn relatives about the methods used by such fraudsters. In case of suspicious calls, people should hang up immediately and not engage in conversation. The police provide further information at paderborn.polizei.nrw/artikel/geschockt-am-telefon-auflegen.
The Paderborn District Police authority accepts information under telephone number 05251 306-1222.
Source: Google News DE — Crime (de)