An 85-year-old man from Bavaria proved he’s sharper than most by catching phone scammers not once, but twice. He got a call from someone pretending to be a police officer. The fake cop said a family member was in serious trouble and needed help right away. This trick is often used to scare older people into handing over their money.
But the man knew it was a scam. Instead of hanging up, he decided to play along. He told the caller he would gather €10,000 in cash and some gold coins for pickup. While he kept the scammer on the phone, his daughter called the real police in Ingolstadt. Officers arrived at the pickup spot and arrested a 20-year-old man who came to collect the money.
According to The Guardian, this wasn’t even the first time this father and daughter team caught a scammer. In September last year, another fake police officer called with the same trick. That time, the scammer asked for more than €60,000. The police waited at the handover location and arrested a 40-year-old woman who showed up to take the cash. Officers praised the pair for their smart actions, saying they handled the situation perfectly.
Both scams used the same story to steal money
In both cases, the callers said the money was needed as bail for a relative who caused a deadly car crash. Last year, they claimed it was his niece. This time, they said his granddaughter was responsible. The scammers tried to create panic by naming specific family members, hoping the man would act without thinking.
These scams happen all the time and cause real damage. Scammers often target victims through fake urgent phone calls demanding money, using fear to manipulate people into paying quickly. Earlier this month, a woman in her 80s from Munich lost up to €600,000 in cash and gold. A caller pretending to be a doctor said a family member needed expensive medicine urgently.
The woman handed over everything to a courier. Police caught a 24-year-old man who picked up the valuables and his 59-year-old partner waiting in a car nearby.
In July, another 80-year-old man from Ingolstadt lost over €100,000 in gold. A fake police officer warned him about burglaries in the area and told him to leave his gold bars on his doorstep for safekeeping. The man did as told, and the gold was stolen.
That same day, someone pretending to be a bank employee called him too. The fake worker said thieves had broken into his account and told him to make several payments to fix it. He transferred thousands of euros multiple times.
Police are warning people, especially older adults, to be very careful with these calls. Scammers use similar tactics to trick unsuspecting victims out of money across different situations. Never share personal information or bank details with unknown callers. This smart Bavarian man shows that staying alert and working with police is the best way to stop these criminals.
