The German police have arrested 16 people involved in an international scam "with nephews", which particularly targets the elderly.

The German police conducted a large operation, resulting in 16 arrests related to a scam known as "the nephew scam," which has international ramifications. The scam involves phone calls from individuals claiming to be relatives in distress, such as causing a traffic accident. The victims, usually elderly, are subsequently contacted by supposed police officers who demand large sums of money to prevent the incarceration of their relatives.

The operation led to the closure of three call centers in Frankfurt, Austria, and Poland. The arrested suspects are aged between 22 and 63, and some of them are accused of having called the victims, while others were involved in collecting the money. During the searches, the police confiscated laptops, mobile phones, jewelry, and drugs. The operation took place between September and October, involving authorities from several European countries, under the coordination of the Federal Police Office in Berlin.