Police officers from Lower Silesia, while working on recently reported police and grandchild scams, determined that a 15-year-old had actively participated in them. The minor was detained last Wednesday in Stary Zdrój and has already been charged with four offences. The young woman from Wałbrzych was tasked with collecting cash from manipulated seniors. Three offences took place in the city of Wałbrzych, and one such incident occurred in Kłodzko. The investigation is ongoing. Further arrests of people involved in the scheme cannot be ruled out.
Over the course of several days in May this year, three substantial cash extortions took place in Wałbrzych—more than PLN 100,000 in total—from unsuspecting seniors who believed the story told by fraudsters posing as police officers. In each case, the perpetrators used the same method, telling women aged between 69 and 86 that their money was at risk and had to be secured as quickly as possible by law enforcement authorities so that it would not fall into the wrong hands.
Operational activities made it possible to establish the identity of the so-called “collector.” It turned out that a 15-year-old had been recruited to commit this type of crime. The young woman from Wałbrzych was apprehended by uniformed officers on Wednesday morning in an apartment on Pocztowa Street in Wałbrzych.
During further procedural activities, the officers proved that the teenager had committed another similar offence, this time in Kłodzko. On 23 March this year, the 15-year-old collected more than PLN 40,000 from the 89-year-old victim in the case. The money was supposedly bail for her “granddaughter,” who had caused a fatal accident in Germany.
The teenager’s fate will now be decided by the family court. We remind you that, under the Act on Supporting and Rehabilitating Minors, educational measures, a therapeutic measure and a corrective measure may be applied to a person committing punishable acts—as in this case. A penalty may be imposed only in cases provided for by law, when other measures cannot ensure the minor’s rehabilitation.
On this occasion, police officers once again warn people not to hand over any cash to strangers, who often pose as couriers, police officers, lawyers or even prosecutors, but are simply ordinary criminals. Let us remember to discuss such topics with seniors and inform them about similar situations we have previously heard or read about. We remind you that fraudsters are ruthless, so it is very important to report any such suspicious phone call immediately by calling the emergency number 112 and to follow the instructions of the duty officer at the unit.