Benediktbeuern senior loses €20,000 in shock‑call telephone scam

A senior resident of Benediktbeuern handed over around €20,000 in cash after receiving a phone call that claimed his son had been injured in an accident and needed a bail payment. The senior only learned the story was false hours later when his son visited, prompting a police report. Police confirmed the fraudster had already fled with the money.

The Oberbayern Süd police precinct noted that call‑center fraud targeting seniors remains a serious problem. In the past year more than €5 million was stolen in the region, with 2,362 reported attempts and 67 cases where cash or valuables were handed over after perpetrators pretended to be police or prosecutors. Although the number of attempts fell by about ten percent, the total loss nearly doubled compared with the previous year. Authorities continue to urge the public never to provide cash or personal information over the phone and to verify any such requests through official channels.