Overview

• Scammers posing as financial experts recruited a man and a woman through WhatsApp groups with promises of high returns on stocks and cryptocurrencies.
• Over several weeks the victims received luxury gifts and were persuaded to transfer funds to foreign accounts linked to a fake trading platform.
• The fraud was uncovered only after promised payouts failed to materialize and the perpetrators stopped responding.
• Polizei Stralsund has launched an investigation and warns that perpetrators often disappear once they obtain sufficient funds.
• Authorities recommend treating unexpected investment pitches with skepticism and consulting banks or law enforcement before transferring any money.