An 83-year-old resident of Legnica received a call from a man who claimed to be her grandson. – The supposed relative told “Grandma” that, while driving with his father, he had caused a road accident in which a woman was injured. The call was then taken over by the senior’s supposed son, who stated in a desperate voice that he urgently needed PLN 80,000 to avoid going to prison – reports junior warrant officer Jagoda Ekiert, press officer of the Municipal Police Headquarters in Legnica.
The spokeswoman: – After a while, another man spoke on the phone, this time claiming to be a police officer, and urged the woman to hand over cash that was supposedly bail to avoid arrest. The senior citizen said that she did not have that much money at home and could only hand over approximately PLN 60,000.
The scammer informed the woman that a police officer would soon come to her home to collect the cash. Following the instructions, the 83-year-old put the money in a shopping bag and handed it to an unknown man.
After a while, the supposed police officer called the senior citizen again and informed her that her son and grandson would arrive at her apartment at around 8:00 p.m. When the appointed time passed, the worried woman called her daughter. Everything then became clear.
Police warn:
Remember to exercise judgment and caution—if someone calls us claiming to be a family member and asks us to hand over money quickly, we should not make any hasty decisions. Do not tell anyone over the phone how much money we have at home or keep in our account. Do not withdraw all our savings from the bank. In situations of this kind, always call someone in the family and ask whether the person who just requested our help really needs it. This is all to verify the credibility of the person we are speaking to. If we do not know how to react, tell a relative or close friend about the suspicious call, and immediately notify the Police about the entire incident.
The spokeswoman adds:
We also appeal to caregivers of older people: inform our parents and grandparents about this scheme. Warn them about people who may want to exploit their kindness and trust. Tell them how to behave if someone calls asking to borrow a large sum of money quickly. Use family gatherings, dinners or casual visits for this purpose. The aim is to warn our loved ones in time. We should also draw the attention of older people in our surroundings to this type of threat. Let us remember: ordinary caution and knowledge of criminals’ methods can protect older people from losing their life savings.