As of: February 14, 2024, 5:25 a.m
By: Tobias Gmach
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Christine Kohlhund, station manager at the Esso gas station in Berg, helped prevent fraud on Monday - for the second time in two months.
Berg – “Attentive gas station employee prevents fraud”: The Starnberg police sent out a press release with this title on Monday afternoon.
Two hours earlier, around 11 a.m., Christine Kohlhund, station manager at the Esso gas station in Berg, had done everything right.
Thanks to the 37-year-old, a 69-year-old man was not relieved of 900 euros.
Man wanted Apple gift vouchers worth 900 euros
In a way, Kohlhund had to force the man from the Starnberg district who came into the gas station shop to make his luck.
Because he planned to buy so-called Apple Gift Cards worth 900 euros - for a very specific purpose.
“I was just talking to our trainee when my colleague suddenly appeared in the office with the gentleman,” the station manager tells Starnberger Merkur.
The man already had the bundle of prepaid cards in his hand.
“I had to convince him a bit and said: Please don’t do it.”
Was prepared for the case: Christine Kohlhund from the Esso gas station in Berg with “Apple Gift Cards” that fraudsters use.
© Andrea Jaksch
The background: As the police reported, the 69-year-old had already received a call last Wednesday, but he missed it.
“So the fraudsters called again on Saturday - with the 'good news' that he had won 38,000 euros in a competition,” writes Police Commissioner Christine Bachmann in her report.
“He should first pay 900 euros in processing fees in the form of Apple cards.”
Police: Fraud is carried out over the phone
Even though it seemed strange to him, Bachmann said, he wanted to buy the cards at the gas station.
Apparently he didn't give out the codes on the gift cards, but rather wanted to set a trap for the fraudsters.
Either way: “The gas station employee correctly advised him to report it to the police instead - these types of fraud cases are usually only handled over the phone,” explains the senior inspector.
This is already the second case for Christine Kohlhund
Christine Kohlhund was prepared for the case.
Because at the end of 2023 she experienced a very similar one.
“Before Christmas, a woman came into the gas station completely upset,” she says.
At this point, the customer had already purchased Apple cards, passed the serial number on to the fraudsters and tried in vain to get the money back from Apple.
Kohlhund reports that she advised her to contact the consumer advice center or, if necessary, a lawyer.
And she researched that Apple had to refund the amount.
“The woman had a family with children, it was just before Christmas, so the money wasn’t so easy,” says Kohlhund.
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They were manipulated on the phone until they gave out the serial numbers on the cards.
Christine Kohlhund, station manager at the Esso gas station in Berg
And there actually was a happy ending.
The customer followed the gas station employee's advice, informed the police, received the money back, and Apple blocked the card.
“She then came over with a bottle of champagne and said thank you,” reports Kohlhund.
“But for me it was natural to help.”
(By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Starnberg newsletter.)
Apple warns of attempted fraud online
Christine Kohlhund, who lives in Gilching, has only been working as station manager in Berg since June 2023.
But she noticed that some time ago the scammers used the scam directly to gas station employees.
“They were manipulated on the phone until they gave out the serial numbers on the cards,” she says.
However, she is not aware of such a case at the Esso station in Berg.
Apple warns on its website about attempted fraud with gift cards.
The company advises never to pass on the code on the back to unknown people and, if in doubt, to contact the local police as quickly as possible.
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