As part of the security partnership between the Idar-Oberstein police, the town of Idar-Oberstein, the district of Birkenfeld and the municipality of Herrstein-Rhaunen, a first prevention event on the subject of "shock calls" has now taken place, which was attended by around 70 people. Organized gangs steal more than 10 million euros a year in Rhineland-Palatinate through this perfidious form of telephone fraud alone. There are also other types of fraud, such as the grandchild trick, fake police officers, love scams and investment fraud, which all have one thing in common: persuading elderly people to hand over money and valuables.
In his welcoming address, Mayor Friedrich Marx also thanked "the officers from the criminal investigation department, who today gave a first-hand account of their daily work in dealing with fraud crimes, how the perpetrators proceed and how to behave correctly in an emergency". He also announced that the joint prevention work would be continued. "The agreed security partnership should not only exist on paper, but also be filled with life," said the mayor.
Police councillor Kimberly Short, head of the Idar-Oberstein police station, pointed out, among other things, that "if you have any doubts during a phone call, hang up and call the police". The aim of the event was to raise awareness of these scams in the long term through targeted education, comprehensive information and a personal approach. "Those who are well informed recognize suspicious situations more quickly, act more prudently and can therefore protect themselves effectively," continued Kimberly Short. The head of the police department also introduced three of the district officers for the city of Idar-Oberstein, who are frequently out and about in the city districts and are available to citizens.
In their presentation, Kevin Breitenstein and Christoph Klein provided expert information about the perpetrators' approach and the clear warning signs that indicate an attempted scam. These include the enormous time pressure that the perpetrators build up, the demand for absolute secrecy, the demand for money or valuables and unusual handovers. The clear appeal from the officers in the "Property" department of the 43rd Criminal Investigation Department in Idar-Oberstein is: "Be suspicious and ask questions. Hang up the phone if you are unsure, never talk to strangers on the phone about money and always ask plainclothes police officers for their ID." It is also important, the crime commissioners continue, "to inform the police about attempted frauds, as there are often many attempts at a particular scam in a region within a short period of time. It would then even be possible to arrest the runners who are supposed to collect the valuables. Marco Steeb, deputy head of police department 43, reported that three of these collectors have already been arrested in the Idar-Oberstein area.
Following the presentation, numerous participants took the opportunity to ask personal questions and even reported on their own experiences with attempted fraud. All participants agreed on one thing: it was a very successful event that will definitely be continued. Even after the official question and answer session, numerous one-to-one discussions were held with the police officers present.