Canton of Geneva: telephone fraud – seniors are at the end of the year affected
Phone scams are well known by now, but that doesn’t stop the crooks from trying again and again, targeting seniors in particular.
The holidays at the end of the year are good for them. In fact, four cases of phone scams were reported in five days. The canton police will inform you so that you can better protect yourself.
Since December 8, 2022, the Geneva police have identified a new wave of phone scams targeting the elderly. Four cases were reported in less than five days. Although in most cases these are only attempts, it is important to warn the target individuals so that they can protect themselves.
The procedure is always the same: the perpetrators look for telephone numbers that are connected to people whose first names suggest an old age. They call them up and pretend to be police officers, dying at first not to hang up. This is to ensure that the victim cannot reach anyone. They explain that a was temporarily involved in a traffic accident and is currently in custody or in hospital. The scammers tell the victim that they need to pay the hospital bills or bail to get the victim released. This often involves tens of thousands of Swiss francs and/or valuable jewellery. When the required goods are gathered, the scammers and the victim agree on a handover location and carry out the exchange. At the slightest doubt about the successful execution of the fraud, the crooks hang up.
The perpetrators use the Christmas season, when seniors often have money at home, to trick them. These scams targeting the elderly cause severe trauma to the victims and have serious financial consequences.
Remember: the police never call the relatives of arrested persons to ask for bail of any kind!
The police strongly recommend that the following request be followed:
- Inform your relatives about the problem;
- 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 (© SpeedKingz – shutterstock.com)
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