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With the help of Europol, law enforcement agencies from Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom located and apprehended the leader of a criminal organization that had defrauded hundreds of senior citizens. The suspect was apprehended close to London, where he oversaw a network of fraudsters that primarily preyed on German and Polish citizens. When executing the arrest warrant issued by Polish authorities, officers searched the suspect's home and seized important evidence, including mobile phones. While this was going on, five locations were searched by German police, and they found over EUR 160 000 in cash, gold bars, coins, jewelry, phones, and other electronic devices.
Secret accomplices sent to collect money.
The organized criminal network was particularly skilled at calling elderly people in Poland and Germany while posing as police officers or other representatives of the state. The victims were informed that one of their relatives was to blame for a car accident or other similar incident that caused injuries or other people's deaths. The scam caller would hand the phone to a companion who would frantically beg the victim for assistance while crying or screaming into the phone. This tactic was used to shock the elderly person, which allowed the caller to carry out the scam and request payment to avoid the false relative's arrest.
The thieves would explain the handover process to the victim before sending someone to pick up the money at the victim's door. The criminal network used online job boards to find unwitting accomplices for this task in order to minimize exposure and reduce the chance of being apprehended.
Over 70 participants in the scam were detained during the course of the investigation, sometimes while they were soliciting money at the victims' homes. Around 5 million euros worth of losses are estimated to have been caused overall, but this successful takedown may have prevented up to 14 million euros worth of losses.
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Damage to finances, emotional distress, and loss of authority as a result.
Scam calls impersonating police and judicial officials that target senior citizens present a serious threat and have a lasting effect on the victims. Aside from the suffered and frequently irreparable financial damage, it can result in emotional distress and a loss of faith in legitimate authorities.
Other impersonation scams include the so-called grandchild or nephew trick, in addition to impersonating authorities, including members of law enforcement and, in some cases, healthcare personnel. In these situations, the offenders assume the identity of close family members of the targeted victims, who are typically elderly, and pretend to have experienced financial, legal, or medical difficulties in order to fraudulently obtain money.
Fraudulent impersonation criminal networks pose a serious threat to the EU and are highly adaptable to broader developments. For instance, some criminals modified their plots during the COVID-19 pandemic to have victims believe they were sick family members in need of assistance.
Avoid giving out personal or financial information to opportunistic callers to protect yourself from scam calls. Never give money or make payments to law enforcement or other officials over the phone or in person by having them knock on your door. If you get a call like this, hang up right away, and dial 911.
Position of Europol.
Three operational meetings organized by Europol and held in The Hague and the UK helped to support this investigation. Additionally, Europol examined the supplied data and provided the investigators with specialized knowledge of this criminal activity. .
authorities taking part:.
Germany: Landeskriminalamt Baden-Württemberg (Bureau of Investigation Baden-Württemberg).
Poland: Biuro Kryminalne Komendy Gównej Policji (Criminal Bureau of the National Police Headquarters in Warsaw); Komenda Wojewódzka Policji w Katowicach (Vivoidship Police Headquarters in Katowice).
The National Crime Agency is located in the UK.
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