Imagine you receive a phone call claiming that your family member got into trouble, and you need to pay a fine to avoid getting into more trouble. This scenario is very common across Europe. Fraudsters contact people, particularly the elderly, under false claims, seeking cash or valuables. Telephone fraud has emerged as a major problem, resulting in millions of euros in losses and leaving many victims feeling humiliated and insecure.
The EU-funded project ISF LUMEN strengthens international cooperation between police across Europe to combat this type of crime. Thanks to the project, in 2024, German police, along with European partners, prevented almost 400 crimes and EUR 4.85 million in losses related to fraudulent calls. They also dismantled a large network behind these calls and discovered three call centres in Poland.
The project focused on four key areas. First, on raising awareness about the risks of this type of crime, informing people about how these scams work and how to protect themselves through radio spots and a podcast produced with the Berlin Police.
The project’s second focus is combatting shell game fraud which is a crime that takes place in public spaces, particularly at tourist hotspots, with the intention to deceive victims into believing that they have a chance at winning the game. Seemingly harmless, these games cannot be won and are carried out by organised, cross-border criminal groups. The project helps fight shell game fraud by using new...
Imagine you receive a phone call claiming that your family member got into trouble, and you need to pay a fine to avoid getting into more trouble. This scenario is very common across Europe. Fraud...