Crime against the elderly: four arrests in Germany and Poland

Police authorities in Berlin (Germany) and Poznan (Poland) have apprehended a group of fraudsters targeting elderly people with a phone scam similar to the one known as the ‘nephew trick’. The imposters called their potential victims in Austria and Germany pretending to be officials calling on behalf of their relatives in need of help. They called elderly people telling them that a relative had been involved in an accident and asked them for money so their relative would avoid arrest.

The investigation into this criminal group started two weeks ago and resulted in an action day targeting the fraudsters on 14 January 2021. Europol facilitated the information exchange, provided analytical support and operational coordination. This operation is part of a dedicated project set up at Europol targeting crime against the elderly.

On the action day, officers from Poznan detained three individuals suspected of making the calls while the German officers arrested the alleged collector of the funds in Dortmund. Digital equipment used to commit the crime (computers, mobile phones, SIM cards) was seized.

Crime against the elderly is a growing phenomenon both within and outside the EU. Aside from the financial loss, there is also a considerable psychological impact on the victims. In different cases, criminals pretend to be a relative or even a representative of different authorities: a police officer, lawyer, judge or tax investigator. Criminals ask the victims to transfer or hand over money to cover treatment costs or to prevent the relative for prosecution or detention. The fraudsters even show up at their victims’ doorsteps to pick up the money, abusing the vulnerability of the elderly. As this crime has been reported in several EU countries, Europol set up a dedicated project on crime against the elderly in 2010. Europol is currently supporting several ongoing investigations targeting this fraud.

Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, we support the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime. We also work with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer.