Pensioner exposes scammers with cell phone screenshots

A retiree from Wanfried was going to be scammed out of several thousand euros through Whatsapp. Rather than enter into the deal, he gathered evidence against the scammer.

Wanfried: These are rare documents because Hannelore S. de Wanfried acted with lightning speed. She has now handed over the alleged screenshots of the online conversation to the police.

But first things first: on Thursday afternoon he receives a message from his daughter. Her mobile phone is broken and she has lost all saved data. “So far it’s not uncommon, my daughter wanted to buy a new device anyway,” says the retiree, but he keeps the new number separate. After a few messages, the scammer gets down to business. The alleged daughter still has to pay the bills. Can the mother do that? This is where Wanfried’s wife gets suspicious because her daughter also works in a bank. When she discovers the sum of 3,307.76 euros, she is sure: someone is trying to swindle her.

Whatsapp Scam Lures Wanfried Pensioner Through Investigation

She calls her daughter on the old cell phone number. She can be contacted and knows nothing about a broken mobile phone. After the perpetrator has sent the bank details, the woman breaks off contact. The perpetrator becomes more demanding and suddenly uses the wrong grammar. When the victim stops responding, he lets go, but deletes all messages. Too late: the retiree had already taken the so-called screenshots. The account is managed at Sparkasse Unna/Kamen. He has now made his evidence available to the police, who have launched an investigation.

WhatsApp fraud: pensioner convicts thieves with cell phone screenshots

The police give the following advice: If you are contacted by a person you know but with an unknown number, do not save the number automatically.

Ask people you know (daughter/son) about the old known number. Always be wary of claims for money, whether by post, email, phone or courier services.

Also check the security settings of your intelligence services and inform relatives about the scam. (Tobias piece)