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Fake Prosecutor Call Costs Senior 81 Luxury Watches as Investment Scams Persist

Police say the cases reflect persistent, organized schemes targeting older residents.

Overview

  • In Kößlarn, an 86-year-old handed over 81 high-value watches worth more than €100,000 after a caller posed as a prosecutor claiming his son needed a five-figure bail.
  • The victim gave the watches to an unidentified collector, and police have opened an investigation and appealed for witnesses in the Passau district.
  • In Markdorf, a senior couple lost about €150,000 after a 2023 cold call led to an advance‑fee investment scheme that used small apparent payouts to build trust.
  • The couple later transferred increasingly large sums to foreign accounts while being pressed to cover repeated taxes, fees and commissions.
  • Near Überlingen, a 66-year-old invested roughly €45,000 in cryptocurrencies via a chat-group invitation before unexpected charges exposed the fraud, with investigations continuing.