Thieves are becoming increasingly brazen. Their victims are most often elderly people who live alone. Another case of this kind took place on 29 April. Two women from Bolesławiec, aged 85 and 82, fell victim to the fraudsters. A man called them pretending to be their grandson. He said that he had caused a road accident and needed money. He defrauded each woman of PLN 5,000.
Police warn: after selecting a victim, criminals call them and claim 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 them to complete a questionnaire supposedly related to a planned increase in their disability or retirement pension.
In the questionnaire, we provide information about our savings, the names of our family members or who takes care of us. In this way, we give the fraudsters information.
They then call us and, using an altered voice, pretend to be, for example, a grandson who is in a difficult situation—family, financial or otherwise—and asks for help. When the fake grandson 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 accomplice 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 relatives and warn them about this type of behaviour. Do not:
- provide any information over the phone about our home, savings, when we are at home or who we live with
- complete any questionnaires containing similar questions
- give cash or any other items to unknown people
- 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)