German seniors outsmart phone fraud; suspect arrested

An 84‑year‑old pensioner in Mirow received three consecutive scam calls offering a health‑insurance policy, a tree‑planting scheme, and a lottery payout. Each call used his personal and bank details, but he terminated the calls, alerted his bank and the police, and no money was lost. Police filed a fraud report and warned the public against similar telephone demands.

In Baden‑Baden, a 72‑year‑old man recognized a fraudulent call in which the caller pretended to be a public prosecutor demanding €50,000 to cover an alleged accident involving a relative. The senior refused to cooperate and involved the police, leading to the detention of a 19‑year‑old suspect of Polish nationality on suspicion of organized fraud. He was placed in investigative custody pending trial.