Grandchild fraudsters are attempting to defraud the elderly of large sums. In a major operation that has taken place in eight European countries, several call centers and arrests have been made. Investigators in Germany, and other European countries, have launched a major investigation against suspected grandchild scammers.
According to the Berlin police and public prosecution office, 20 suspects have been arrested. Eleven suspects, ranging in age from 18 to 67, are accused of calling people to steal their savings. Nine of the suspects allegedly worked as collectors for highly organized gangs.
Three call centers located in a detached home, an apartment, and a hotel were reported to have been destroyed – along with a large part of the infrastructure used for scams. Emergency services were able prevent 391 grandchild frauds, causing damage of over 4.8 million euro.
Every day, almost a thousand police officers are involved
The evidence is now being analyzed. The evidence is being analyzed. According to the Lower Saxony State Office of Criminal Investigation (LSOCI), around 600 officers participated in the operation which lasted for almost two weeks between the end of November & the beginning of December.
In total, police forces in 15 German states, the Federal Criminal Police Office and authorities from Luxembourg (Austria), Poland, Switzerland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, Austria as well Europol all took action to stop the suspected fraudsters. This was the third such operation in a single year.
Grandchild fraudsters use clever deception to steal large sums of cash from elderly people. On the phone they pretend to have an emergency and pose as close relatives like grandchildren, nieces or daughters and sons.
They may mention an accident, an urgent medical bill for hospital treatment that is vital or a alleged deposit payment which needs to be paid immediately. The whiny tone, the emotional shock or the suggested time pressure puts the victims under pressure. Victims often have to give cash or valuables over to an unknown person.
