Germany and Austria report surge in fraud and crime

Police in Germany and Austria are reporting various criminal activities, including a rise in sophisticated telephone fraud and local burglaries.

In Germany, several regions have been targeted by ‘shock calls’ where scammers impersonate family members in distress. In the Aachen region, an elderly couple lost a five-digit sum after being told their daughter needed urgent surgery. Similarly, in Trier and the Bitburg-Prüm district, seniors were defrauded of five-to-six-figure sums through similar tactics involving fake accidents and medical emergencies.

Other criminal incidents include a series of twelve burglaries in a single week in Vienna-Leopoldstadt, Austria, prompting increased police patrols. In Germany, authorities are also investigating bank fraud in Göttingen, a theft involving an ATM in St. Wendel, and a fatal stabbing at a senior center in Olfen, where a 72-year-old man killed an 86-year-old woman.

In Marl, a witness successfully prevented three women from breaking into a home, while in Mannheim, a family dispute escalated at a gas station involving a starter pistol and pepper spray.