German police warn seniors of phone scams impersonating officers

Police forces in several German states have issued alerts about a surge in telephone fraud targeting older citizens. In Thuringia’s Suhl district and the broader Südthüringen region, scammers pose as police officers and claim a relative is facing imprisonment after a fatal traffic accident, demanding “caution” payments of up to €80,000. One victim in Schweina handed over €14,000 before the ruse was uncovered. Similar calls have been reported around Neumarkt in Bavaria, where fraudsters also claim to be police or prosecutors and use call‑ID spoofing to appear legitimate. The police advise anyone receiving such demands to hang up, verify the call by dialing 110, and never hand over cash or valuables.

The Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) notes that losses from “false police” scams rose sharply last year, reaching roughly €49 million, while the number of cases increased. Authorities stress that genuine police never request money over the phone and recommend using personal code words with relatives and removing personal details from public phone directories.