Europol said it supported a police operation that led to the arrest of dozens of suspects , including the leader of an organised crime ring that was defrauding elderly people with fake phone calls . The police operation involved officers from the UK, Germany and Poland in cooperation with Europol.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) arrested the suspected ringleader near London. At the same time, Polish and German officers searched multiple locations and seized mobile phones and other electronic devices. also seized.
According to Europol, around 70 people have been arrested.
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How did the scammers operate?
The fraud involved two stages:
Initially, the scammers would call elderly people on the phone, impersonating police officers or other officials. They would inform the victim that a relative had caused an accident that resulted in the deaths of other people.
Then, a second person (from the gang) would answer the phone, screaming into the phone desperately asking for help. This tactic was intended to shock the recipient and convince them to follow the scammer (to hand over money) in order to prevent the arrest of their supposed relative.
The second stage of the scam involved sending a person to the victim's home to collect the money.
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According to Europol, this fraud affected hundreds of elderly people and led to losses of around €5 million. With the arrest of the ringleader and other members of the group, losses of at least €1.4 million were prevented.
Europol says that this type of fraud not only leads to financial losses, but also causes serious emotional distress and loss of trust in legitimate authorities.
Last year, the UK's telecommunications regulator announced plans to crack down on phone calls that spoof the numbers of banks, police and other institutions.
Scams targeting senior citizens and impersonating police and judicial authorities are common.
In addition to impersonating officials and, in some cases, healthcare, other impersonation scams include the so-called grandchild or nephew scam. According to Europol, “in these cases, perpetrators pose as close relatives of the targeted victims, most often elderly people, and pretend to have encountered financial, legal or health difficulties. The aim is to obtain money through deception.”
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Phone scams are on the rise and scammers are always coming up with clever new tactics. It’s important to be wary of calls you receive, regardless of your age. Don’t share personal or financial information with strangers over the phone (or text/email). Law enforcement and other officials will never ask for money or payments over the phone.
Source: www.infosecurity-magazine.com
