Germany warns of fraud targeting nursing‑care patients and families

German consumer authorities and the Bavarian patient‑and‑care representative Thomas Zöller have warned that fraudsters are increasingly targeting people receiving long‑term care and their relatives. The scams often involve phone calls in which callers claim to be employees of care insurers or the Medical Service (MD) and offer free care‑aid boxes or courses that are actually covered by the Federal Ministry of Health’s €42‑per‑month allowance.

Victims are coaxed into providing insurance numbers and other personal data, allowing fraudsters to sign contracts that bind them to costly monthly payments or to charge the care insurer for services never provided. The consumer centre notes additional schemes using hidden assignment forms and false invoicing. The warnings aim to help those with care grades 1‑5 protect themselves from these financial traps.