Police seek witnesses Attempt to save fraud victims fails at the last minute

Sankt Augustin · A married couple from Sankt Augustin fell victim to a telephone scam. The perpetrators got away with a sum of 40,000 Euro. Police forces tried to stop the money transfer at the last minute.

 A couple from Sankt Augustin became victims of a telephone scam. (Symbolic photo)

A couple from Sankt Augustin became victims of a telephone scam. (Symbolic photo)

Foto: dpa/Roland Weihrauch

Telephone fraudsters defrauded a couple from Sankt Augustin of a sum of 40,000 Euro on Wednesday. The perpetrators had previously claimed that the money was needed as a deposit for the couple's daughter. On the phone they had said that the daughter had seriously injured a pregnant woman in an accident and would have to go to prison if the bail was not paid. According to the police, the 65-year-old husband then withdrew the 40,000 Euro from the couple's joint account at banks in Bonn and Sankt Augustin. He handed over the money between 1.20 p.m. and 1.30 p.m. in front of the local court in Siegburg to an as yet unknown perpetrator, whom he met on the Leinpfad.

His 59-year-old wife tried to reach their daughter at the same time and was successful. The daughter was safe and sound at her workplace and alerted the police after her mother called. According to the police, emergency services tried to find the 65-year-old man, but were too late. The man could not be reached by phone because the perpetrators kept him on the line. Still on the spot, he needed care from victim protection workers and was initially convinced for several minutes that he had helped his daughter.

The police described the woman who collected the money as being about 30 years old, with an athletic build and a height of 1.60 to 1.65 metres. The woman also had dark hair, which was tied in a braid with a clip at the time of the crime. She was wearing dark clothing. The police are calling 02241-5413121 to ask for information about the handover of money and the woman who picked up the money.

Original text: ga / Translation: Mareike Graepel

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