How the fake police call works
The phone rings and a confident voice introduces itself as the police, Europol, Interpol or a public prosecutor. The caller claims your bank account has been compromised, that criminals have your data, or that a relative is in custody and money is needed. Sometimes the real emergency number 110 appears on your display, because scammers spoof caller ID to look genuine.
The goal is always the same: get you to hand over cash, valuables or gold to a courier, or transfer money to a so-called safe account. Real police never collect money, never ask you to move funds, and never send a courier to your home.
Why it works and who is targeted
These calls work because they combine authority with fear and time pressure. When a person who sounds official says you or your savings are in danger, the natural urge is to cooperate quickly rather than question them. Scammers keep victims on the line for a long time and discourage them from hanging up or speaking to anyone else.
Older people are contacted most often, partly because phone directories make them easy to find, but anyone can be targeted. The Verbraucherzentrale notes that the scripts are well rehearsed and that being deceived says nothing about your intelligence.
Warning signs in detail
Be alert if a caller claims to be police or a prosecutor and talks about money, your bank, gold or a safe account. Other red flags are extreme urgency, instructions to keep the call secret from family or bank staff, and a request that you stay on the line while you go to the bank.
The display showing 110 or a local police number is itself a warning rather than proof, because that number can never receive incoming calls in reality. Any demand to hand cash or valuables to an unknown courier is a clear sign of fraud.
How to protect yourself and what to do
If such a call comes in, hang up. Do not transfer money, hand over anything or share account details, no matter how urgent it sounds. Then dial 110 yourself, slowly and from memory, to ask whether the call was genuine, and talk to a relative or your bank before acting.
If you have already paid, contact your bank immediately to try to stop the transfer and report the case to the police. Reporting helps even after a loss, and you should never feel ashamed for having been targeted by professionals.
