Rostock (dpa/mv) - A clever bank employee saved a pensioner in Rostock from losing 35,000 euros to con artists. As a police spokesman said on Monday, the perpetrators wanted to trick the 90-year-old woman with the so-called shock call scam. A caller on Friday pretended to be the elderly woman's grandson and said that he had caused a traffic accident and was now in custody. Grandma could prevent that by paying a bail of 35,000 euros.
The woman first became suspicious and also said on the phone that she was no longer so good on her feet. But then the whole thing was underpinned by the fact that an alleged police officer intervened in the conversation and probably confirmed the incident convincingly.
The 90-year-old went to the branch in Warnemünde. When she wanted to withdraw the large amount, the bank employee asked why and called the 41-year-old real grandson to be sure. The scam was exposed.
So-called shock calls, where alleged police officers report, are among the most common and, according to the police, unfortunately still the most successful trick fraud schemes in the Northeast. In 2021, con artists stole around three million euros there.
