started · updated
Europe: Surge in scams targeting elderly citizens
Law enforcement agencies across Italy and Germany are reporting a significant rise in sophisticated scams targeting elderly individuals. Criminals are employing various personas to gain access to homes or financial information, including fake Carabinieri officers, bank employees, medical professionals, and utility workers.
In Italy, authorities in Alba arrested a couple for stealing jewelry and cash from seniors by posing as law enforcement. In Conegliano, a man was apprehended after tricking a victim into handing over weapons and money by claiming to be a financial investigator. Other reported tactics include the “fake police” method used in Bitonto and various regions of Italy.
In Germany, police have issued multiple warnings regarding diverse fraudulent schemes. In Ratingen and Ibbenbüren, perpetrators posed as telecommunications workers or smoke detector inspectors to steal valuables. In Zwickau, scammers used “shock calls” by impersonating doctors to demand immediate medical payments. Other incidents involve criminals posing as bank staff to steal debit cards and PINs in Genthin and Dessau-Roßlau, or as water utility workers in Solingen to facilitate home burglaries.
Entities
Acri · Carabinieri · Castrovillari · Catania · Germany · Guardia di Finanza · Italy · Municipality of Ascoli Piceno · Municipality of Messina · Police of Saxony-Anhalt · Polizei · Polizia di Stato
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Two young men attempted to rob a 79-year-old woman in Gelsenkirchen-Buer. www.dattelner-morgenpost.de · www.marler-zeitung.de
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The suspect in Gladbeck allegedly used a stolen debit card for multiple cash withdrawals. neue-gladbecker-zeitung.de
- [● 2 SOURCES] The suspects in Gelsenkirchen are estimated to be between 16 and 18 years old. www.dattelner-morgenpost.de · www.marler-zeitung.de
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A man is suspected of stealing a senior's wallet and debit card in Gladbeck-Zweckel. neue-gladbecker-zeitung.de
- [● 2 SOURCES] A 19-year-old woman pursued the suspects and recovered the stolen backpack. www.dattelner-morgenpost.de · www.marler-zeitung.de