A woman who introduced herself as a doctor called the senior woman. She told her that members of her family had contracted Ebola and were in serious condition.

To make the story seem credible, screams could be heard in the background of the call from a woman shouting, “Mom, save us!” The situation was intended to cause fear and prompt the senior woman to act immediately.

Fraudsters often exploit strong emotions to prevent their victims from calmly assessing the situation. Information about a life-threatening danger facing loved ones can cause a person to act in panic instead of first checking whether the information being given is true.

She handed PLN 50,000 to a stranger

The supposed doctor instructed the woman to prepare cash and hand it to a man who was to come to her apartment.

At around 4 p.m., a stranger arrived. The senior woman handed him PLN 50,000, believing the story presented to her.

But the manipulation did not end there. The fraudster would not let the victim end the telephone conversation at any point. In this way, she was allegedly meant to prevent the woman from contacting her family and independently checking whether the information about her relatives’ illness was true.

This is how fraudsters operate. They exploit fear and time pressure

This type of scam is based on provoking strong emotions and then persuading the victim to hand over money quickly. Criminals may impersonate doctors, police officers, officials or other people whose role is intended to make the story seem credible.

A demand to prepare cash immediately, hand it to an unknown person or remain on the phone without being able to contact loved ones is a warning sign.

It is worth remembering that a convincing manner of speaking, knowledge of family members’ names or emotional sounds in the background do not prove that the caller is telling the truth.

How can you avoid being scammed? These rules can protect your savings

If you receive a call about a sudden accident, serious illness or another danger involving loved ones, the most important thing is to remain calm and verify the information.

Above all:

  • End the call and contact your family. Call a phone number you know and check whether the story you were told is true.
  • Do not act under pressure. Fraudsters may frighten you, cry, scream or insist that every minute matters.
  • Do not hand cash to strangers. Do not follow telephone instructions to give money to someone whose identity you cannot confirm.
  • Do not trust the caller’s claims alone. Someone claiming to be a doctor or another institutional representative may not be who they say they are.
  • Talk to your loved ones about the danger. It is worth establishing family rules for dealing with emergencies, including how to verify information about an alleged accident or illness.

If the caller tries to control the course of the call, forbids contact with your family or insists that money be handed over immediately, treat this as a serious warning sign.

What should you do if you suspect fraud?

If you suspect that you are speaking to a fraudster, do not hand over any money and contact the Police. If the cash has already been handed over, report the matter to the authorities as soon as possible and provide all available information, including a description of the person who collected the money and details of the telephone conversation.

In an immediate emergency, call the emergency number 112.

This story is an important warning, especially for seniors and their families. It takes only a moment of fear to make a decision whose consequences can be very serious. That is why it is worth reminding loved ones of one rule: before handing over money, check whether the story told over the phone is true.