over 60 cases since September 2021 – Police.news
Investigators, who have faced more than 60 cases of phone scams involving perpetrators posing as police officers since September 2021, are sounding the alarm.
Even if 10% of the attempts lead to the disclosure of values, the total damage is estimated at CHF 500,000 to 800,000. To stop these scams, prevention is paramount.
Since the end of September 2021, the Geneva police have faced a wave of telephone scams committed against the elderly. Over 60 cases have been reported to us, but there is no doubt that many scams and attempts at fraud have never been reported to the police.
It should be noted that of all cases reported to the police, 10 percent resulted in a money handover. Although it is difficult to determine the total damage, police estimate that it ranges from 500,000 to 800,000 francs in the canton of Geneva.
It is important to mention that scammers’ approach is always the same. First, the perpetrators look for the phone numbers of people whose first names suggest they are very old. Once they find their victim, the scammers refine their search to obtain information about the identities of their victim’s loved ones.
As soon as the connection is established, the fraudsters identify themselves as police officers. They explain that one of the victims temporarily caused a traffic accident and is currently in police custody. In this context, they often point out that the other person involved in the accident, often a pregnant woman, is currently in the hospital. This information causes the victim to go into psychological shock and lose their critical and analytical skills. The scammers then overwhelm the victim even more by bringing a person who can be heard on the phone to tears, explaining that this is the family member who is so distraught that they can no longer speak. They then explain to the victim that their loved one could be released on bail, which always amounts to tens of thousands of Swiss francs.
When the victims declare that they don’t have any jewelry or funds, the scammers hang up and the situation ends with an attempt. If the victims have the means, they agree to pay the bail price. If the amount of money is not enough, scammers systematically suggest adding valuable watches and gold jewelry to the amount.
Once the price of the bail IS agreed, the scammers will tell the victim that their phone line IS tapped and they are not allowed to hang up until the money is delivered. In reality, this is to ensure that the victim cannot reach anyone. When the bandits have even the slightest doubt that the scam was successful, they hang up.
When the victim is eventually in possession of the money and jewelry, the scammers arrange a handover location, usually at the foot of the building.
The police never call the relatives of arrested persons to demand payment of any bail!
The following follows:
- inform your loved ones about the existence of this phenomenon;
- Never respond to requests for money over the phone;
- If someone presses you, hang up immediately;
- Never give valuables or money to unknown persons;
- Report suspicious situations to the police immediately by dialing 117!
Source: Kapo Geneva
Cover image: Symbolic image (© fizkes – shutterstock.com)
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