Bolesławiec police remind and appeal to elderly people who live alone to exercise particular caution, not let strangers into their homes and not give them money.
The method is still the same: it involves extorting money from elderly people who live alone. After selecting a victim, the criminals call and present themselves as a family member. This time, the fraudster pretended to be a grandson who had caused a road accident and urgently needed money.
It also happens that an unknown person knocks on our door, claiming to be an employee of the Municipal Social Welfare Centre or a ZUS representative, and asks us to fill in a questionnaire concerning 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 looks after us. In this way, we provide fraudsters with information essential to carrying out their scheme.
They then call us and, using an altered voice, pretend to be, for example, a grandson who is in a difficult family, financial or personal situation and asks for help. Often, when their voice later seems suspicious to the victim, the fraudsters explain it by claiming that they are ill or have undergone a medical procedure.
When the alleged grandson is supposed to come for the money, he calls to say that he cannot come for very important reasons (illness, hospitalisation, a trip, etc.). Instead, he will send a trusted friend. A stand-in “friend” arrives, collects the cash and, of course... is never seen again.
Criminals prey on people’s naivety and primarily target elderly people in this practice. That is why the officers appeal to residents of our county to look after their elderly loved ones and warn them about this type of behaviour. Do not provide any information over the phone about our home, our savings, when we are at home or who we live with. Do not answer any questionnaires containing similar questions. Do not hand over cash or any other items to unknown people. Do not let survey takers, salespeople or other suspiciously behaving people, or people claiming to be acquaintances, into your home. Such people often take advantage of a household member’s inattention and steal money and valuables.
Each time, call the relative back using a known number; contact someone in the family to confirm the incident.
Any suspicious calls should be reported to the police immediately, by calling 997 or 112.
KPP Bolesławiec/ii