The scammers’ modus operandi is very similar. A man or woman calls, claiming to be a police officer. The caller informs the person that they are investigating attacks by hackers on bank accounts, and then asks for details about the caller’s bank account (login details, account number and balance, card number, PIN, etc.). The caller also instructs them to go to a bank and open an online account. Ultimately, the victims’ money goes directly into accounts controlled by the scammers.
The police remind us that a sign that a scammer is calling is that, during the conversation, they ask the person to call 997 in order to confirm their alleged identity. However, the criminals do not end the call, and when the victim dials the emergency number, they remain on the line and confirm the details themselves.
To protect ourselves from losing money, remember:
- police officers never ask anyone to hand over money!
- they never call residents to offer them participation in operations they are conducting
- they never collect money; nor do they ask people to give it to strangers or transfer it to bank accounts
- they never ask anyone to go to a bank branch to open a bank or online account
- they never ask for details about a bank account.
If someone tries to scam us by pretending over the phone to be a police officer, let’s end the call! Let’s not engage in a discussion with the scammer. If we do not know how to react, let’s tell someone close to us about the suspicious call.
Each of us is individually responsible for the security of our property, so whenever we have any suspicions about another person’s honesty and intentions, we should contact the police.
It is important, the officers stress, that both this appeal and guidance on how to deal with situations of this kind reach as many people as possible, particularly older people. The more people are aware of how money is extorted using various methods, the fewer of them will be deceived.