Scam - Police action against shock callers: five suspects caught
As part of an international police operation against grandchild fraudsters and shock callers, the police in North Rhine-Westphalia have caught five suspects. The police in Cologne announced on Wednesday that the mostly undercover operations in NRW had been coordinated by the Cologne criminal investigation department. Suspects were caught in Lippstadt and Aachen. Some of them were remanded in custody.
Investigators from Germany, Poland, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Europol were involved. Around a thousand officers were on duty every day for two weeks until December 8.
Plainclothes officers from Münster arrested a 48-year-old suspect and a 36-year-old alleged accomplice in Lippstadt after a crime. Shortly beforehand, an 85-year-old woman had allegedly handed over 12,500 euros to the duo. Investigators were able to recover the money and return it to the 85-year-old woman. The man and the woman are in custody. The case took place on December 7.
Three suspects had already attracted attention in Aachen on December 1. They were caught shortly before handing over 20,000 euros at the front door of a 95-year-old woman. The trio consisted of two men aged 18 and 38 and a 41-year-old woman. According to the police, the investigation is still ongoing.
The scam involves perpetrators calling elderly people from abroad. They pretend on the phone that a child or grandchild has caused a serious accident. Impending imprisonment can only be averted by paying a high bail. The money is handed over to people who are directed by the callers.
Cologne police statement
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Source: www.stern.de
