– Several more fraud cases using popular methods have occurred in Lower Silesia. Residents of Wrocław, Wałbrzych, Dzierżoniów, Trzebnica and Bolesławiec learned that it is not worth trusting everyone who claims over the phone to be, for example, a police officer, bank employee or financial adviser – says junior aspirant Aleksandra Pieprzycka of the Press Section of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Wrocław.

She adds: – A 77-year-old resident of Bolesławiec reported that unknown callers, claiming to be her grandson and a German police officer, persuaded her to hand over more than PLN 94,000 to an unknown woman who came to the senior woman’s home.

Bolesławiec police on the incident:

The fraudster informed the woman by telephone about an alleged car accident involving her daughter and the need to pay a fee that would resolve the problem. The entire story was made credible by a “German police officer,” who confirmed the grandson’s words and urged her to follow the instructions concerning the transfer of cash. A courier was sent to collect the money and took nearly PLN 95,000 from the senior woman.

The trust that the Bolesławiec resident placed in other people cost her the loss of her life savings.

An 84-year-old resident of Dzierżoniów County was defrauded in a similar way. A woman claiming to be the senior’s daughter called her and led her to hand over property worth a total of more than PLN 16,000.

A 79-year-old resident of Trzebnica reported to local police that unknown perpetrators claiming to be employees of an investment platform persuaded her to take out several loans and then install an application on her computer, after which they made several transfers totaling nearly PLN 250,000.

A 70-year-old woman from Wałbrzych was defrauded in a similar way. Persuaded by a fake broker, she installed remote-desktop software on her device, losing control over the data stored there. As a result of the fraudster’s actions, she lost PLN 70,000.

Seniors were not the only victims; a 35-year-old resident of Wrocław also believed a fake bank employee. He reported to police that unknown perpetrators claiming to work for two banks, under the pretext of helping him avoid losing savings deposited in his accounts, persuaded him to make several transfers totaling nearly PLN 85,000.

Police:

When attempting to extort money using the “police officer” method, perpetrators exploit the public trust inspired by our profession. They provide a fictitious service ID number and personal details, and may even have a forged badge when contacting the victim. They usually inform older people that they are working on a case involving the extortion of a large amount of cash, or ask them to hand over money in connection with a road accident allegedly caused by someone close to them. Ultimately, they arrange to meet the victim at a specified time and place, preferably somewhere without video surveillance. The fraudsters then disappear with the cash, while the victims are left without their savings. In every similar situation, officers naturally urge caution, as perpetrators often claim to be close family members. They very often change their voice, pretending to be ill, or cry.

They also add:

When carrying out any online transactions, one should follow the principle of limited trust and exercise caution. Before starting to invest, it is worth learning all the rules governing this type of activity. Do not believe every assurance made by someone offering us profits. Do not agree to install on your computer or phone an application that enables remote control of the device, even if an investment consultant assures you that it is safe and necessary for investing. Do not give in to pressure or act impulsively. If we suspect that fraud has occurred, contact our bank as soon as possible. We should also notify the police of our suspicions. Otherwise, we may lose our life savings.