Sömmerda police warn of remote access fraud targeting elderly residents

Police in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia are warning the public following two incidents of remote access fraud targeting elderly residents.

In the first incident, a 64-year-old woman from Sömmerda was contacted via Facebook Messenger by an unknown profile. After following instructions during a subsequent phone call to visit a specific website, criminals gained control of her laptop and executed an unauthorized transfer of 1,500 euros.

In a separate case, a 75-year-old resident of Buttstädt was contacted by an individual posing as an Amazon employee. The perpetrator claimed that unauthorized purchases of several laptops had been made through her account. Under this pretext, the woman was induced to install an application that granted the scammer remote access to her computer and stored data. The extent of any financial loss in this case is currently unknown.

Authorities advise citizens never to grant strangers access to computers or smartphones, to avoid installing software at the request of unknown callers, and to never disclose passwords or banking details. If remote access has already been granted, victims should disconnect the device from the internet, change passwords using a different trusted device, and contact their bank immediately.