Wave of fraud in Gotha: 30,000 euros lost due to crypto scam!

Wave of fraud in Gotha: 30,000 euros lost due to crypto scam!

Last week there were several attempts at trick fraud in the protected area of ​​the Gotha State Police Station, which primarily targeted older people. The people called were misled using sophisticated methods. On Tuesday, two senior women, a 76-year-old from Ilmenau and an 84-year-old from Eisenach, received calls from alleged police officers about an alleged lottery win. Fortunately, both ended discussions without suffering any financial loss. These incidents demonstrate the unscrupulous methods of fraudsters who continually develop new tricks to trick unsuspecting citizens. According to [Gotha Aktuell](https://gotha-aktuell.info/2025/07/22/ilmenau-eisenach-gotha-mehrere-trickbetrugstrie-30-000-euro- Schaden-bei-krypto-betrug/), particularly vulnerable groups, such as senior citizens, are repeatedly the target of such machinations.

In Gotha, however, the story takes a tragic turn. A 67-year-old woman fell for a crypto scam and revealed her account details after contacting the scammers over the phone several times. Unknown perpetrators were then able to debit around 30,000 euros from their account. It can be seen that many fraudsters use modern technologies to deceive their victims. A common technique is caller ID spoofing, in which callers spoof their identities to appear like trustworthy entities. You can read more about this method and the warning signs at Securafy.

The tricks of the fraudsters

The perpetrators are very strategic in their calls. At theFake cop trickThey pretend to be police officers and claim to have caught a gang of burglars. It is often even suggested that they are on a list with a target and that their valuables need to be “brought to safety”. This deception is particularly perfidious because it is based on a feeling of insecurity and danger. Many seniors who assume that it will really help them in such a situation can quickly fall into the trap. The fraudsters also use technical tricks, for example to make the emergency number 110 appear on the victim's display, as Pflege Panorama reports.

Another common fraud scheme is theGrandchildren trick. Here, the fraudsters research information about the potential victims on social media and use the family connection as an entry point. They usually start with the question: “Guess who’s here?” and then ask for help or money. Psychological manipulation of this kind makes it difficult to escape.

Protection against fraud

Police and experts advise people to be particularly careful when receiving unexpected calls. It is important to immediately end calls that request personal information. Only trust reputable providers! Verify callers by using official contact information rather than relying on information that may be given to you over the phone. There are also technical ways to protect yourself, such as call blocking apps or the suspicious call reporting function. If fraud is suspected, those affected should contact the police immediately. Further information can be obtained at polizei-beratung.de or directly from the LPI Gotha Police Advice Center on 03621-781504.