Quick-Thinking Pensioner Outsmarts Fraudsters
An 85-year-old pensioner from Bavaria has become an unlikely crime-fighting hero, successfully ensnaring telephone fraudsters on two separate occasions. The man, whose sharp instincts defied his age, managed to trap conmen who were attempting to steal tens of thousands of euros by posing as police officers.
In the most recent incident, which occurred on Tuesday, the pensioner received an urgent call from a man claiming to be a police officer. The caller stated that a family member was in serious distress, a common and cruel tactic used to pressure elderly victims. Immediately suspecting a scam, the pensioner played along, promising to gather €10,000 in cash along with several gold coins for collection.
A Well-Rehearsed Trap Springs Shut
While he kept the fraudster engaged on the phone, his daughter swiftly contacted the real police in Ingolstadt. Officers were dispatched to the agreed handover location, where they arrested a 20-year-old male suspect who had arrived to collect the non-existent haul.
This was not the first time the father-daughter duo had executed such a clever sting. In a remarkably similar case back in September last year, a bogus officer called demanding over €60,000 in cash as bail for a relative allegedly involved in a fatal car accident. On that occasion, their "exemplary" response, as praised by police, led to the arrest of a 40-year-old woman who arrived as a courier to pick up the money.
In both scams, the fraudsters used emotionally charged stories involving family emergencies. The first involved a niece, while the most recent case falsely implicated a granddaughter.
A Growing Threat to the Vulnerable
Local authorities have issued stern warnings following these incidents, urging the public, particularly older people, to be extremely sceptical of unsolicited calls. They stress that genuine police or bank officials will never ask for personal data, bank details, or cash withdrawals over the phone.
The warning is timely, as other recent cases in Bavaria illustrate the severe financial damage these crimes can cause. Earlier this month, a woman in her 80s in Munich was tricked by a caller pretending to be a doctor into handing over cash and gold worth up to €600,000 for supposed urgent medication. Fortunately, police arrested a 24-year-old man and a 59-year-old accomplice and returned the valuables.
In another distressing case in July, an 80-year-old man in Ingolstadt was cheated out of more than €100,000 in gold bars. He was convinced by a fake police officer to leave the gold on his doorstep for "safekeeping" due to a spate of burglaries, only for it to be stolen. Earlier that same day, a separate scammer posing as a bank employee had already convinced him to make several large bank transfers.
The repeated success of the 85-year-old Bavarian pensioner serves as a powerful reminder: staying calm, verifying information independently, and immediately contacting the real authorities are the most effective defences against these predatory phone scams.
