POL-OH: Break-in at Cemetery Building – Shock Call – Granddaughter Prevents Cash Handover – House Fire – Criminal Damage
Fire, break-ins and a scam rattle German towns in one chaotic week
Vogelsberg District (ots)
Break-in at Grebenau Cemetery Building Between Sunday (21.09.) and Tuesday (23.09.), unknown individuals entered the grounds of a cemetery on Am Berg street. They forced their way into a building by breaking down a door and stole a microphone from inside. The value of the stolen item has not yet been determined. Anyone with information is asked to contact Alsfeld Police Station at 06631/974-0, any other police station, or via the online reporting portal at www.polizei.hessen.de.
Shock Call – Granddaughter Prevents Cash Handover in Lauterbach On Wednesday evening (24.09.), an 87-year-old woman from Alsfeld received a call from someone claiming to be a police officer. The caller stated that her daughter had been involved in a serious traffic accident and that bail money was required to prevent her arrest. Through manipulative conversation tactics, the scammer convinced the elderly woman to withdraw a four-figure sum from her account. Fortunately, her attentive granddaughter learned of the demand and intervened in time to stop the handover.
It Can Happen to Anyone Those who think this could never happen to them are mistaken. Criminals use highly deceptive, well-rehearsed, and tailored tactics—often exploiting personal details to make their scams more convincing.
During the call, fraudsters skillfully manipulate victims into gathering valuables and leaving them at designated locations or handing them over. Victims are pressured into believing that only compliance can prevent arrest. In some cases, scammers even instruct victims to withdraw cash from banks.
Once the assets are ready and a drop-off or handover point is agreed upon, a fraudster collects the items in person.
Police Warning: Scams Come in Many Forms - Be suspicious if a caller does not identify themselves clearly or claims to be a police officer or judicial official without verifiable credentials. - Hang up immediately if someone demands money over the phone. - Contact the police. - Never hand over money or valuables to strangers. - Inform family, friends, and acquaintances about the current wave of scam calls.
House Fire in Schlitz In the early hours of Thursday morning (25.09.), a fire of unknown origin broke out in a single-family home on Bad Salzschlirfer Straße in the Uetzhausen district. Around 2 a.m., a smoke alarm woke the resident, alerting her to the kitchen fire. She and her husband escaped to a neighboring property and called the fire department. Shortly after, emergency crews from Schlitz, Uetzhausen, and Bad Salzschlirf arrived and began firefighting efforts. The blaze caused an estimated €160,000 in property damage, rendering the house uninhabitable. Both residents sustained minor injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by criminal police.
Criminal Damage in Alsfeld
Between Sunday (14.09.) and Wednesday (24.09.), unknown individuals broke into a mosque on Liederbacher Straße. Inside, they damaged several posters and defaced images with ballpoint pen. The incident caused approximately €100 in property damage.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Alsfeld Police Station at +49 6631 974-0, any other police station, or file a report online via www.polizei.hessen.de.
