Police catch trick thieves: Seniors in the crooks' sights!

Police catch trick thieves: Seniors in the crooks' sights!

A suspected trickster duo was stopped in Cologne-Nippes on Wednesday, July 2nd. The two men, aged 27 and 44, were noticed by plainclothes police officers when they entered an apartment building. Arriving in a rental car, they left the building a short time later with cash, gold jewelry and a fake ID card of an alleged “customer advisor” in their hands. The suspects posed as Telekom employees in order to gain access to the apartment of a 91-year-old senior citizen and steal from her. However, the officers were there in time to arrest the men after they had attempted a similar scam on a senior couple (76 and 83 years old) in Deutz about an hour earlier. Fortunately, the owner of the house noticed the fraud before the perpetrators could strike and the duo fled.

The criminal police have now started investigations and are checking whether the two men could possibly be responsible for other similar crimes. The incidents in Cologne are alarming, because in 2024 around 1,200 crimes against older people were registered in the city and Leverkusen, causing significant economic damage amounting to millions. The resulting feelings of shame and mistrust increase the psychological vulnerability of the victims, making the situation even more dangerous.

Prevention for seniors

To give older people a voice and help them stay safe in our increasingly complicated world, the Chorweiler Senior Women's Theater Group organized a special performance directed by Matthias van den Berg. This event deals with the topic of trick theft and shows how quickly and suddenly people in this age group can become victims of crime. With six performances in the spring months of 2023 in various community centers and houses, the group was able to attract around 500 visitors.

In the interactive scenes, the seven actresses between the ages of 60 and 80 demonstrate current tricks used by fraudsters. The performance ends with a discussion in which participants can talk to the crime prevention team of the Cologne police in order to receive valuable tips and strategies on how they can better protect themselves and their relatives.

Enlightenment through information

The Federal Ministry for Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth has also published the brochure “Guess whose turn it is?” released. She shows the methods that criminals use to try to deceive senior citizens with lies and tricks in order to get their hands on their assets. This information is available to anyone interested and serves as valuable support in the fight against this type of crime.

Overall, it is critical that seniors and their families remain vigilant. The perpetrators' approaches are varied: they pretend to be relatives on the phone or pretend to be craftsmen at the front door. They often put the victims under massive pressure or offer supposedly “very good deals” in order to get the money out of them. The point remains: everyone should keep their eyes open and be aware of the risks.

For further information on this topic, those interested can read the articles on Rhenish advertising sheets, city ​​of cologne and bmfsfj visit.