Coffee trips
Many elderly or single people are happy to receive a cheap offer in their letterbox: coach trip, food, coffee, cake, entertainment, gifts. All for a few euros. But such invitations with the opportunity to take part in a promotional event have nothing to do with an excursion. Because these coffee trips are all about business. The participants are usually sold beds, blankets, cooking pots and other products. According to police experience, these offers are regularly more expensive than in specialist shops and often of inferior quality. The well-trained sales staff always manage to persuade some excursionists to sign purchase contracts.
Financial commitments of several hundred euros are not uncommon. The German Civil Code provides protection against such ill-considered purchases by granting a right of withdrawal. Purchase contracts concluded on coffee trips or similar events can be revoked within two weeks. The safest way to do this is by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt. The revocation period only begins to run as soon as the customer has been given clear instructions about the right of revocation. Only the date of dispatch is relevant for compliance with the deadline. Anyone buying at promotional events should therefore pay attention to the date of the purchase contract and the instruction on the right of withdrawal. If the instructions are missing or incomplete, the customer can cancel the contract for an unlimited period of time.
Tips:
- Never feel obliged to place an order or make a purchase on coffee trips. The expenses are already included in the fare.
- Do not sign anything you do not understand. Signatures are never a mere formality and verbal agreements can rarely be proven.
- If you nevertheless conclude a contract, ask for a copy of the contract on which the name and address of the contractual partner are clearly legible. Make sure the date is correct.
- The German right of withdrawal also applies to coffee trips abroad if the coffee trip was organized by the seller for the purpose of persuading the customer to conclude a purchase contract.
Doorstep selling
Door-to-door sales are not without risk, as dubious sellers or fraudulent representatives repeatedly try to deceive their customers about the conclusion of a contract or even falsify contracts. The range of door-to-door sales extends from the conclusion of a magazine subscription, contracts for work on the house and apartment to the acceptance of unsolicited deliveries.
The German Civil Code provides protection against ill-considered purchases or the conclusion of contracts by granting a right of withdrawal. In the case of doorstep selling, buyers can revoke their purchase declaration within two weeks without giving reasons. The safest way to do this is by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt.
The right of revocation does not apply if you have appointed the representative yourself, if the transaction is minor (up to €40) or if the declaration has been notarized. The right of revocation also does not apply to membership recruitment for associations. The date of the purchase contract and the information on the right of withdrawal are important for the withdrawal period.
Tips:
- Don't sign anything under time pressure, don't be impressed or confused by pitying slogans.
- Do not sign anything that you do not understand. Signatures are never a "mere formality", verbal agreements are invalid.
- You should not sign contracts for extensive work on your house or apartment at the front door, but should always obtain quotes from several tradesmen.
- If you nevertheless conclude a contract, ask for a copy of the contract on which the name and address of the contractual partner are clearly legible. Make sure the date is correct.
- Do not pay invoices for unordered subscriptions. Have the claim explained and documented.
- Unsolicited goods of low value, e.g. postcards, do not have to be paid for, kept or even returned.
Further information and prevention tips can be found on the Internet: www.polizei-beratung.de.
Handbag robbery
A 77-year-old woman in Trier was robbed of her handbag in front of her home in broad daylight as she was returning home from shopping. The perpetrator, aged around 18, was so violent that the pensioner fell and injured her left shoulder. The robbed bag contained cash, bank cards and the victim's bunch of keys.
The crime described is typical of handbag robberies. The perpetrators are predominantly under 21 years of age and male, while the victims are mainly older women. The perpetrator's risk is low as he usually comes from behind and snatches the handbag from the unsuspecting victim as he walks or drives past. The completely surprised victim sees the perpetrator at best from behind, so that she can only describe him vaguely. If you know the perpetrators' approach and the dangers involved, you can rule out many risks.
Tips:
- If possible, do not take large amounts of cash with you.
- If you cannot do without a handbag, at least distribute your money, bank cards, keys and papers among the closed inside pockets of your clothing.
- Carry your bag on the side facing away from the street, tucked securely under your arm.
- Never count your money on the street.
- Groups offer protection: Before withdrawing large amounts of money, ask relatives, friends or neighbors to accompany you.
- If your bag is snatched anyway, do not fight for it, as there is a high risk of falling and injuring yourself. Your health is more important!
Further information on this topic can be found in the brochure "The golden autumn - How to protect yourself in old age", which you can obtain from any police station or on the Internet: www.polizei-beratung.de
Grandchild trick
Fraudsters use the so-called "grandchild trick" to try to swindle large sums of money from mainly older citizens. In Rhineland-Palatinate, there are an increasing number of cases in which older people are specifically called. Possible victims are sometimes selected via telephone directories or a CD-ROM using first names that indicate the older generation. The callers then pretend to be relatives, often grandchildren or even good acquaintances, and ask for cash at short notice. They often claim to be in an emergency or in financial difficulties due to an accident or a bargain offer for a car, computer or property. The money is never collected by the caller themselves, but by a stranger on behalf of the alleged relative. The emergency situation is always presented as extremely urgent. Several calls are often made at short intervals, leaving the victim hardly any time to think or check the facts. Therefore, be suspicious if you do not recognize the voice of a caller. Genuine relatives and good acquaintances will understand. Follow these tips to protect yourself and your family from harm.
Tips:
- Do not let anyone elicit names or other information about relatives, friends or acquaintances over the phone, e.g. with the frequently asked question: "Guess who's calling you?"
- Always take the time to check the caller's details. Ask for the full name, address and a telephone number where you can call back if necessary.
- Do not hand over money to people you do not know.
- If you receive a call with this request, talk to someone you trust. If this is not possible or you feel unsafe, contact the police.
- Warn your older family members in particular about calls demanding money.
You can find more tips on how to protect yourself against fraudsters in the brochure "How to protect yourself in old age", which is available from any police station.
Safe money transactions
Section 263 of the German Criminal Code describes fraud as obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deceiving others, for example by making false pretenses or distorting true facts. The "con artists", "touts" and "pawn catchers", as contemporaries in this category are popularly known, usually go about their work with great finesse and often cause considerable damage. The locations and opportunities where "irregularities" can occur are as varied as the forms of fraud. In addition to the "crime scene of the front door", cases of fraud occur again and again in connection with the brokerage of residential property and the forgery and misuse of means of payment.
Investment fraud:
Fraudsters at the front door particularly often target senior citizens who supposedly feel safe within their own four walls. The aim of these unwelcome visitors is to gain entry to the home, as there are usually no witnesses or other people there who could thwart their plans. A fraudster's sinister intentions are rarely obvious. The perpetrators appear in very different roles: Sometimes they pose as a respectably dressed businessman, sometimes they present themselves as a tradesman in work clothes, as someone in need of help or even as an alleged official. In order to reach their target, the perpetrators are always surprisingly inventive. The financial damage they cause is often irreparable.
Counterfeit money:
Genuine banknote or clumsy forgery? Time and again, "flowers" of banknotes are put into circulation that look deceptively similar to genuine banknotes at first glance. Counterfeit money can be offered anywhere: For example, at the front door, in the crowd at the department store checkout or at the ticket counter.
The most important accomplice of many money fraudsters is the gullibility of their victims. And anyone can become a victim. That's why it's literally worth its weight in gold to sharpen your eye in good time. Remember: some "scams" can cost you dearly. Because if you receive counterfeit money and notice it too late, you will suffer double the damage: You will not receive any compensation and - if you pass on the counterfeit money - you will even be liable to prosecution.
Many perpetrators react surprisingly flexibly to developments in the technology market. Most color copiers are now equipped with coding systems with which a color copy can be precisely assigned to the respective copier. This is why more and more offenders are turning to the help of a computer scanner to produce their "flowers".
The "Blossom Trainer" helps you get fit against the false bill! Start our Java game and protect yourself from accepting counterfeit banknotes. Please note that you need the latest version of the JAVA software on your computer to start the euro banknote trainer.
Check and credit card fraud:
No question: it's fun to "simply pay with your good
name". That's why more and more people are taking the opportunity to make cashless payments. In Germany alone, around 114 million debit and credit cards have been issued. Payment cards play a significant role in cashless payments in a wide range of areas and are becoming increasingly important as they can be used conveniently and securely as an alternative to cash. Added to this is the worldwide acceptance of credit cards in retail and the possibility of withdrawing cash from over 820,000 ATMs worldwide using an ec card/bank card or credit card.
The widespread use and, above all, the high acceptance of "plastic money" exert an irresistible attraction on criminals. Today, it is often made easy for them: data such as the credit card number, the validity period of the card and the signature are disclosed by credit card users wherever they pay by card. All data is part of the receipt. This means that with every payment, more and more people come into possession of highly confidential information. Furthermore, perpetrators are constantly developing new methods (e.g. so-called "skimming": attaching devices to the card insertion slot of ATMs or door openers and miniature cameras) to fraudulently obtain card data and personal PINs.
In the absence of alternative means of payment, online shopping is associated with a particular risk. Hotel reservations, but above all online transactions, remain risky because there is still no digital, forgery-proof signature and therefore no identity check. It remains unclear whether the customer is actually the cardholder. This means that anyone who knows your credit card number and expiry date (since the end of 2001, a card verification number may also be required, which is printed on the credit card itself but not stored in the magnetic strip) can be contacted via
If you are a victim, you must not remain a victim. As a victim of a crime, you have a whole range of options to actively stand up for your rights and seek protection and help.
Your police will be happy to advise and support you. However, there is only a chance of bringing the perpetrator(s) to justice if the crime is reported to the police and the courts. This is the only way to help you assert your rights and protect other people from further crimes.
Example: Victim of a robbery offense
Robbery offenses are divided into different criminological forms: Robbery of cash and valuables transports, robbery of payment points and stores, robbery on streets, roads and squares, handbag robbery, robbery of motorists, robbery from homes. The proportion of robbery offenses in relation to the total number of all recorded offenses was approximately 1% in 2004.
What all robbery crimes have in common is that the perpetrator often uses a disproportionate amount of violence to gain possession of the loot. Street robbery and purse snatching in particular are crimes that contribute significantly to the feeling of threat in public spaces and to the fear of crime among the population.
There is no specific modus operandi for street robberies. Predominantly lone male offenders under the age of 21 often attack individual, physically inferior victims, such as older people or people who are only able to react to a limited extent due to their state of intoxication. Young offenders typically act as part of a group, attacking and robbing victims of the same age. In this age group, it is often not a question of enrichment, but the motives are dominance behavior, boredom or imitation.
The use of weapons (relatively rare) and objects is planned by some offenders in order to overcome expected or actual resistance. Street robbery is the most common form of robbery and a typical urban crime.
Handbag robbery is characterized by the unexpected taking or snatching away of a handbag or similar object without further confrontation with the victim. The perpetrator uses his own physical strength to exploit the element of surprise when walking or riding past on a motorcycle, bicycle or inline skates. While the perpetrators of handbag robberies are predominantly male children and teenagers, the victims are almost exclusively older women. Preferred locations are suburban areas, parks, cemeteries and side streets. The crime is often committed after dark.
Practical tips:
In many cases it is advisable to seek advice from a lawyer. They will represent your interests in court. Please note that the first consultation is usually subject to a fee. If you have legal expenses insurance, it is best to ask your insurance company about the assumption of costs. In financial emergencies, you are entitled to free legal advice under the Advice Assistance Act (information can be obtained from your local court); under certain circumstances, WEISSE RING will also cover the financial costs.
Your lawyer has the right to be present at your questioning by the court or the public prosecutor's office. A trusted person may also be present if this does not jeopardize the purpose of the investigation. Supporting victims is one of the tasks of police prevention and every police officer (victim protection). In some federal states, the police have so-called victim protection officers to assist you. You can obtain information about the tasks and possibilities of these police advisors from the (criminal) police advice centers.
How to have your injuries documented:
If you have been injured in a robbery, you should seek treatment from your family doctor, a specialist or in a hospital. Your injuries will be documented at the same time. This certificate can be important as evidence both in criminal proceedings and for asserting your interests (compensation for pain and suffering, loss of earnings, etc.). The costs of treatment are usually covered by your health insurance.
This is how you secure your compensation for damages/compensation for pain and suffering:
The perpetrator is legally obliged to compensate the victim for the damage caused. This includes financial losses, compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages, household, medical and hospital costs or damages due to reduced earning capacity. As a rule, a civil action must be brought to enforce the claims, which is generally at the victim's own expense and risk. Legal expenses are only covered by legal expenses insurance in certain cases. In so-called adhesion proceedings, the court can also decide on the claim and amount of damages and compensation for pain and suffering during the criminal proceedings. Anyone who has suffered damage to their health as a result of a violent crime can receive care under the Victims Compensation Act (OEG) (e.g. treatment and medical treatment, assistance with occupational rehabilitation, pension for victims). Benefits are only granted on application. The application must be submitted to the pension office responsible for the victim's place of residence.
This is how you can get support as a victim witness:
As the victim of a crime, you are always also a witness in a criminal investigation: a so-called "victim witness". Far-reaching possibilities have been created to support victim witnesses, such as witness support from legal trainees or volunteer helpers at the trial. In order to spare particularly vulnerable witnesses a renewed, psychologically stressful confrontation with the perpetrator, the hearing can be recorded on video and played back later in court. It may also be possible to exclude the public.
How to deal with your situation as a victim:
The perpetrator bears responsibility for the crime! The experience of being a victim of crime is deeply upsetting for some people, while others find it easier to cope. The personal strategies that people use to deal with these experiences vary greatly. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Don't be afraid to turn to specialists if necessary. They can offer you professional help in coping with the experience.
A first step may be to call a support organization, a non-profit association for the support of victims of crime or another help facility in your city.
If you have been the victim of a robbery:
- Talk to relatives or friends about what you have experienced.
- If necessary, seek professional psychological support.
- Try not to be alone in the time after the robbery (hours/days).
- Use the regional networks of professional victim support organizations.
- Attend a self-assertion or self-defense course. Courses of this kind are now offered in almost every city - often with the support of the police. There are also special courses for senior citizens.
Victim-oriented prevention is aimed at the entire population, as ultimately anyone can become a victim of robbery on public streets and squares.
As a citizen, you cannot protect yourself in every case. However, you can reduce your own risk by following the advice of the police.
Have your debit or credit card blocked:
You should have a stolen cash card blocked immediately.
You will need your account number to block eurocheque or bank account cards. The easiest way to block credit cards is to provide your credit card number. If you do not have this number, your name, date of birth and address as well as the name of your bank are usually sufficient. In some cases, it is also possible to block the card temporarily. If savings books or investment documents have been lost, please report this to your bank immediately.
Lost your cell phone? Act quickly!
Have your connection blocked as soon as possible - especially if the cell phone was switched on. You can do this by calling the hotline of the provider with whom you have a card contract. In addition to your cell phone number, you should also have your card number and your ID or password ready. However, you can also arrange for the card to be blocked in writing, e.g. by fax.
Are you sure you have been robbed? Then you should report it immediately. The police will need the 15-digit serial number (IMEI number) of your cell phone to trace your device. You can find this number by entering the key combination *#06#. Make a note of the number in your documents.
Dangers on the Internet
Time and again, scare stories about security vulnerabilities unsettle the Internet community. However, data transmission via the global network is more secure than is generally assumed. The real dangers lurk elsewhere, namely in seemingly harmless downloads and e-mail attachments or on websites with self-activating content - and always when ignorance or security gaps are involved. On the following pages, we would like to familiarize you with the potential dangers of the Internet and possible measures for its safe use.
In particular, the misuse of dial-up programs, so-called dialers, has recently developed into a real cost trap and caused considerable financial damage. We will tell you more about the background to these scams and provide you with information about the current legal situation and how you can reliably protect yourself.
eCommerce is on the rise and is now an integral part of our business world. We will inform you about trading via the Internet and the associated risks.
As the Internet will continue to have an increasing influence on everyday life and the world of work in the future, it is particularly important that children and young people familiarize themselves with the cyber world at an early age. Unfortunately, as in all anonymous media, a market for sex and violence has also developed on the World Wide Web. Therefore, on the following pages you will find tips to help you protect your children from the "red light districts" and sites that glorify violence on the Internet.
Neighborhood help
As the cold season sets in and darkness falls earlier and earlier, a feeling of loneliness and insecurity creeps in. Neighbors who know each other and talk to each other create a climate that contributes significantly to safety and personal well-being. Good neighborly contacts convey the feeling of not being alone, and single people and senior citizens in particular tend to withdraw more and more into their own four walls for fear of crime. Trick thieves and fraudsters prefer to target this group of people, so don't give potential criminals in your household, your street and your immediate surroundings a chance. Show responsibility for your neighbors and support each other.
Tips:
- Get to know your neighbors. Because people who know each other are no longer indifferent to each other.
- Include elderly and disabled people in your neighborly contacts.
- disabled people. Take the initiative and make the first move.
- Exchange telephone numbers and availability (e.g. if you are going to be away for a long time).
- Watch out for strangers in the house or on the neighboring property and speak to them.
- Alert the police in case of danger or suspicion
