International police operation - 27 arrests in operation against grandchild fraudsters
Investigators from Germany, Poland, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and the European police authority Europol have launched an international operation against so-called grandchild fraudsters. 27 suspects were arrested between November 27 and December 8, as the Berlin public prosecutor's office announced on Tuesday. 74 crimes with an estimated loss of five million euros were prevented.
According to the information, 1000 officers were involved in the two-week operation, which was led by the Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office (LKA) and coordinated by the Berlin LKA in consultation with the Berlin public prosecutor's office.
According to the information provided, the suspects claimed on the phone, mostly to elderly people, that a family member had caused a car accident and that only the immediate payment of a high bail could avoid imprisonment.
The police have also observed that the suspects have recently been choosing their victims with the help of obituaries. From the obituaries, they learn the names of the children of the deceased, who are then named as the alleged perpetrators in front of the bereaved. The suspects thus take advantage of the time of mourning.
Thanks to the cross-border cooperation of all the departments involved, it was possible to arrest not only suspects who were responsible for logistics and collecting money, but also callers. The dismantling of a call center in a suburb of Warsaw was cited as a major success. In Lippstadt in North Rhine-Westphalia, two suspects were arrested during a money transfer.
Press release
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The operation against grandchild fraudsters was not only carried out by German authorities, but also involved forces from Poland, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and Europol. The Berlin public prosecutor's office announced that 27 suspects were arrested during this international operation. The estimated loss due to 74 prevented crimes amounted to five million euros.
The Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office (LKA) led the operation, with the Berlin LKA coordinating in consultation with the public prosecutor's office. The suspects pretended over the phone that a family member had caused a car accident and required immediate payment to avoid imprisonment.
The police observed that the suspects had recently been targeting their victims using obituaries, learning the names of the deceased's children to falsely accuse them of wrongdoing during grief. This exploitation of mourning was a tactic used by the fraudsters.
The cross-border cooperation among all departments involved allowed for the arrest of logistics coordinators, money collectors, and even callers. A dismantled call center in a Warsaw suburb and arrests in Lippstadt, North Rhine-Westphalia, were cited as significant achievements.
This crime has international implications, as Switzerland and Liechtenstein were among the countries participating in the operation. Germany, with its extensive cooperation with neighboring countries and Europol, was able to effectively combat this form of criminality.
This level of international coordination and cooperation between law enforcement agencies serves as a reminder of the importance of working together to address shared challenges, such as transnational crime.
Source: www.stern.de
