Fake call from Europol: Scammers lure victims with a new scam

Created: 2022-06-21Updated: 2022-06-21, 1:30 p.m

By: Elias Bartl

This stitch is particularly ingenious.

Supposed police officers sometimes call several times a day and pretend that their victims' data has been stolen.

Hamburg – Whether fake police officers who report arrested burglars, grandchildren's tricks or shock calls: the tricks of the telephone scammers are diverse.

Recently, the perpetrators claim to be calling on behalf of Europol or Interpol.

When the phone rings, a supposedly trustworthy German cell phone number appears on the display.

An English tape announcement then pretends that the call is from the police, from Interpol or Europol.

The computer voice says that there is a problem with the identity, the ID of the person called or whose ID would have been misused in criminal cases.

The tape prompts the person called to press a number to be forwarded to a police officer, as reported by 24hamburg.de.

Fake call from Europol: Germany-wide telephone fraud with computer voice

Telephone scammers are apparently trying a new scam - posing as Europol.

© Max Rühle/Imago

The victims are then passed on to what appears to be a police officer, who attempts to elicit sensitive data from the victim by means of skillful conversations, including threats of imprisonment.

In some cases, the scammers claim that the bank account is also affected, or that there is a major investigation.

If you refuse to provide information, you may have to expect several years in prison.

The aim of the scammers is always the same: the callees should be persuaded to make transfers or buy Google Play Cards/Bitcoins.

The focus of the perpetrators is not older people as before, but all adults of all ages are affected by this scam, according to the Hamburg police in a press release.

Europol ID Card: “Call from Europol” – this is how the scammers work

The police advise:

- Hang up as soon as you hear the recorded message.

- Don't follow any prompts.

- Do not press a digit.

- Do not give out sensitive information.

- If you are unsure: research the

phone number of the alleged police station yourself and dial

the number yourself. Never use the

callback button.

- Do not allow yourself to be involved in a conversation and certainly not

put yourself under pressure.

- Do not initiate any transfers in relation to these calls.

Do not buy Google Play Cards or bitcoins.

- If you fall for the scam, report it

to your police force.

The police in Hamburg have already received several hundred such calls, of which the perpetrators were successful in more than 40 cases.

The resulting total damage amounts to almost 200,000 euros.