Grandchild scam and shock calls: recognising telephone fraud

In short: In the grandchild scam (Enkeltrick) and in shock calls, fraudsters pretend to be relatives, police officers or other officials in order to take money or valuables, mainly from older people. Knowing the typical patterns helps you protect yourself and your relatives.

In more detail: The criminals create time pressure and strong emotions such as fear or pity so that the people they call do not stop to think or check. The schemes keep changing, but the basic principle stays the same.

In detail

• The classic grandchild scam: Someone calls, gets you to say a name, for example with “Guess who this is”, and then, as the supposed grandchild or nephew, urgently asks for money.
• Shock call: A family member has supposedly had a serious accident or is about to be arrested, and only an immediate payment, often called “bail”, can help.
• Fake police: Callers claim to be from the police or public prosecutor’s office, warn about burglars and want to “keep cash or jewellery safe”; the real police never collect money or valuables and never ask for them on the phone.
• New number via messenger: A message such as “Hi Mum, this is my new number” belongs to a related scam that soon asks for an urgent bank transfer.
• Displayed number: The number shown on your phone can be faked; even 110 on the display is no proof that the police are really calling.
• How to react: Hang up when someone asks for money, and call the person back yourself on the number you know, or dial 110 yourself.
• Hand nothing over: Do not give money, bank cards, PINs or valuables to unknown couriers, and do not transfer anything under pressure.
• Talk about it: Speak openly with older relatives about these scams and agree always to check with trusted people first when money is involved.
• Report it: Report suspicious calls to the police even if no damage has been done; if money has been transferred, also inform your bank immediately (phishing-und-betrugsmaschen-erkennen, betrugsmaschen-beim-verkaufen-im-netz-erkennen-und-abwehren).