Mulheim.
A 79-year-old helps the real police in Mülheim to catch a fake police officer. It’s almost routine for the sprightly senior citizen.
The senior citizen has long since lost her nickname: “Miss Marple von Mülheim” is what the police call the now 79-year-old. Last Friday she and her grandson helped the real investigators to arrest a fake police officer. For the pensioner, it was already the fourth case based on the same pattern that she “solved”. Tricksters have no chance with the tricky woman.
The wrong policeman had reported to the elderly woman in the Dümpten district on Friday afternoon at around 2.45 p.m. with a well-known scam: Her daughter was involved in a traffic accident, she now had to post a bail – this is how the police press office described the incident in a statement on Sunday afternoon. No problem, the 79-year-old responded to the caller that she had 15,000 euros in cash at home and could hand it over to a messenger. What the later money collector could not know: In the meantime, the grandson living in the house had alerted the police control center at the same time. Thanks to the information from the 20-year-old, the officials were able to position themselves. Instead of being able to receive the money, the handcuffs clicked. The 41-year-old Polish citizen was arrested. A judge sent the man into custody on the day of the crime.
Shock callers are usually based abroad
“Great, great,” praised a spokeswoman for the Essen/Mülheim police about the action taken by the elderly woman and her grandson. It is also important that the two did not put themselves in danger when they showed civil courage. It is not often that the police succeed in catching money couriers. The shock callers themselves are usually based abroad. Victims and those affected by a trick theft often do not report to the investigators out of a sense of shame. Access is all the more important in this case thanks to the help of the senior citizen: “An arrest always results in new investigation approaches,” said the police spokeswoman, “there may also be a chance to learn something about the people behind them.”
Twice it was false grandchildren, twice it was false police officers who failed because of the woman from Mülheim. In May 2020, when the petite pensioner, with the support of family members, had tricked con artists for the third time, the woman had an appointment at the police station on von-Bock-Straße in Mülheim. The director at the time, Alexander Prim, expressly thanked her and her grandson. At the time, the woman had packed an old T-shirt and a pair of stockings in a shoe box for the planned collection of money. Civilian forces were able to arrest three suspects shortly afterwards. At the appointment at the police station, the two amateur detectives received presents, flowers and warm words.
“Caution, trap!” and “Aktenzeichen XY”
She likes to watch shows like “Caution, Trap!” and “Aktenzeichen XY”, she reported at the time. That trains: She didn’t believe that she could ever fall for con artists. After the police made the case public, the phone never stopped ringing. “Was that you again?” This is how her acquaintances would have reacted, she said two and a half years ago. It is likely to have been the same again in the current case.
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