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Brazen thieves steal grandmas in Neuruppin: Police are investigating!
In Neuruppin, a Romanian gang of thieves steals from three elderly women. Police are investigating, perpetrator in custody. Total damage: over 1000 euros.
Brazen thieves steal grandmas in Neuruppin: Police are investigating!
On August 9, 2025, there was a brazen attack on several elderly women by a Romanian gang of thieves in Neuruppin. The perpetrators use clever diversionary tactics to steal their victims' wallets. In the attacks in a bank, a supermarket and a parking lot, the total damage amounted to over 1,000 euros. The police quickly caught the suspects and were able to recover both the stolen cash and the wallet. Moz.de reports that the investigators quickly identified the perpetrators, three men aged 36, 39 and 40, and they were brought before a judge on August 10, 2025.
The affected victims are particularly vulnerable to such scams. The police identified the first victim as a 66-year-old who noticed an attempted theft in the bank. The second victim, a 72-year-old at the convenience store, lost cash from her wallet. The third lady, another 66-year-old, was distracted by a fake breakdown in the Edeka Center parking lot. Here the thieves stole 1,000 euros from an ATM using a stolen cash card.
Nationwide trend in age-related crime
The case in Neuruppin joins a growing list of crimes affecting older people across Germany. Loud Merkur.de Another Romanian gang was recently blamed for numerous thefts as “fake nurses”. These perpetrators gained the trust of older people in sheltered facilities in order to steal valuables undisturbed. In all cases identified, the damage amounts to at least 174,000 euros. This gang was blamed for over 30 completed and 17 attempted thefts.
The investigations, which are led by the Traunstein criminal police, show that the perpetrators were active not only in Bavaria, but also in Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony. The public prosecutor's office emphasizes the importance of close cooperation to combat organized crime that specifically attacks vulnerable groups.
Background to old age crime
But it's not just older people who are victims; a lot is also happening in the age group of the perpetrators. A research group led by HM Professor Stefan Pohlmann points out that age-related crime, i.e. crimes committed by people over 60, has so far received little scientific attention. Increasing life expectancy and a decline in birth rates could lead to an increase in criminal activity in this age group. The heterogeneity of the motifs is fascinating: Boredom, existential distress or psychological changes can be motivations for criminal behavior for various reasons.
The reports from Neuruppin and other cities make it clear that attention to the safety of older people is urgently needed. The large number of cases shows how unscrupulous and clever thieves act in order to abuse their trust. The police and investigative authorities have a duty to resolutely counter these developments.