Elderly Female Victim of Smartphone Scam
In an unfortunate incident reported by the police in a press release, an elderly woman in Schoeningen, Germany, fell victim to a phone scam on Friday afternoon. The scam involved a call claiming to be from Commerzbank's security department, a well-known German bank.
According to the police, the scammer claimed there was a Trojan on the elderly woman's computer and that her money was no longer safe. The elderly woman, who had doubts after a second caller confirmed the receipt of the money, complied with the instruction given by the scammer and transferred 9,800 euros to a newly created account. However, after more doubts arose, she transferred an additional 17,000 euros to another account, which is believed to be fraudulent.
The police are now investigating this case involving multiple transfers, and no further details about the scammer or the newly created account have been provided. The alleged account, interestingly, belonged to the head of Commerzbank, although it is unclear whether this was a deliberate ploy by the scammer to add credibility to their story.
Phone scams targeting elderly individuals are increasingly common and costly. In the U.S. alone, older adults lost nearly $5 billion to fraud and scams in 2024, with the average loss rising sharply to $83,000 per victim[1][2][3]. These scams often exploit emotional vulnerabilities such as loneliness and use sophisticated technologies like AI-generated voices and fake messages impersonating trusted entities[2][3].
Imposter scams, including those pretending to be banks or government agencies to trick elderly victims into revealing sensitive information or transferring money, are particularly common. Such scams typically involve callers falsely claiming to be from a bank, like Commerzbank, warning of suspicious account activity, requesting verification of personal or financial details, and urging victims to transfer money to supposedly "safe" accounts[1][2][3].
To prevent such scams, it is recommended to never provide personal or banking details over the phone unless the caller's identity has been independently verified. If a call seems suspicious, hang up and call the official bank contact number directly to confirm any suspicious communication. It is also crucial to educate elderly individuals about the tactics scammers use and remind them that legitimate banks do not request sensitive information by phone.
Furthermore, installing and using call-blocking tools or services can help reduce scam calls. Lastly, report suspicious calls immediately to local authorities or consumer protection agencies[1][2][3][4]. Given the rising trend of phone-based scams, particularly those using technology to impersonate legitimate entities, these strategies are crucial to mitigate risks in places like Schoeningen where Commerzbank impersonation scams might be present.
[1] Federal Trade Commission. (2021). Fraud and Scams Affecting Older Americans. Retrieved from https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0497-scams-affecting-older-americans
[2] AARP. (2020). 2020 Fraud Watch Network Survey. Retrieved from https://www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork/info-2020/2020-fraud-watch-network-survey.html
[3] National Council on Aging. (2021). Elder Fraud: The Crime of the 21st Century. Retrieved from https://www.ncoa.org/public-policy-issues/elder-justice/elder-abuse/elder-fraud/
[4] European Union Agency for Cybersecurity. (2020). Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2020: Cybersecurity for Older Adults. Retrieved from https://www.enisa.europa.eu/activities/cybersecurity-month/2020/cybersecurity-for-older-adults
Technology can be a double-edged sword, as it is often exploited by scammers to perpetrate crimes, such as impersonating banks like Commerzbank in phone scams. In the general-news story about an elderly woman in Schoeningen, Germany, this happened when a scammer persuaded her to transfer money to fraudulent accounts. This incident underscores the need for increased cybersecurity awareness and education, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly, to protect against these crime-and-justice issues.
