Elderly man loses life savings in heartless daughter 'car crash' scam
An elderly man in the Hersfeld-Rotenburg district lost a six-figure sum in a cruel scam on Wednesday afternoon. The fraudsters tricked him into believing his daughter had been in a serious car accident. Police are now searching for witnesses who may have seen suspicious activity in Lispenhausen around midday. The scam began with a phone call to the victim’s home. The caller claimed his daughter had struck a young girl with her car and demanded bail money. Convinced by the story, the man agreed to hand over cash.
Later that day, he met an unknown woman on Nürnberger Straße in Lispenhausen. He gave her a large sum of money in a beige jute bag with a floral pattern. The suspect then fled on foot toward the local cemetery. Police describe the woman as around 1.60 meters tall, with a stocky build and chin-length dark hair. She wore light blue skinny jeans and a pale T-shirt. Officers are asking anyone who saw her—or noticed unusual phone calls or out-of-town vehicles in the area—to come forward. The focus is on Nürnberger Straße, Gieseweg, and nearby streets. Investigators believe the scammers may have been watching the victim beforehand. They are urging residents to report anything that seemed out of place between late morning and early afternoon.
The Criminal Police in Bad Hersfeld continue to piece together the events of Wednesday’s fraud. Anyone with information about the suspect or suspicious behaviour in Lispenhausen is asked to contact authorities. The victim’s cash has not yet been recovered.
