An 85-year-old man in Bavaria has helped police catch a phone fraudster for the second time, after pretending to fall for a scam demanding cash and gold. The pensioner received a call on Tuesday from a man posing as a police officer, who claimed a family member was in distress and needed €10,000 (£8,750) and gold coins.
Suspecting the trick, the pensioner kept the caller on the line while his daughter alerted Ingolstadt police. Officers arrested a 20-year-old suspect at the designated handover point. Police praised the pair's 'exemplary' reaction, noting a similar incident in September 2023 led to the arrest of a 40-year-old female courier.
In both cases, scammers demanded bail for a relative after a fake fatal car accident. Police warn the public, especially the elderly, to be sceptical of such calls and avoid sharing personal or financial details.
Recent similar scams in the region include an 80-year-old Munich woman losing €600,000 in cash and gold to a 'female doctor' caller, and an 80-year-old Ingolstadt man cheated out of over €100,000 in gold by a bogus police officer.
