Thieves are becoming increasingly brazen. Their victims are most often older people who live alone. Recently, Bolesławiec police recorded another case of this kind. A woman from Bolesławiec fell victim to fraudsters after being called by a man claiming to be her son. He said that he had caused a road accident and needed money to avoid facing the consequences. Another person, whom the alleged son introduced as a police officer, confirmed his version of events. The woman handed money over to the fraudsters.

Police warn that, after selecting a victim, criminals call them and pretend to be a family member. It also happens that someone claiming to be an employee of the Municipal Social Welfare Centre or a representative of ZUS knocks on the door and asks the resident to complete a questionnaire supposedly related to a planned increase in a disability or retirement pension.

In the questionnaire, we provide information about how much savings we have, the names of our family members or who takes care of us. In this way, we provide information to fraudsters.

They then call us and, using an altered voice, pretend, for example, to be a grandchild who is in a difficult situation—family, financial or otherwise—and asks for help. When the fake grandchild is supposed to come for the money, he calls to say that he cannot come for very important reasons, such as illness, being in hospital or travelling. But he adds that he will send a trusted friend. The substitute friend arrives, collects the cash and, of course, never appears again.

Criminals prey on people's naivety. Police appeal to residents of our county to look after their elderly loved ones and warn them about this kind of behaviour. Do not:

  • provide any information by telephone about our home, savings, when we are at home or who we live with
  • complete any questionnaires containing similar questions
  • hand over cash or any other items to strangers
  • let surveyors, salespeople or other suspiciously behaving people into the home.

All such situations should be reported to the police immediately.

(information: KPP Bolesławiec/ii)