It is Friday afternoon, April 12, when the two victims receive a telephone call. Various excuses are used, but in essence it comes down to the same thing: bank cards and valuables must be secured immediately, because there are many things victims have to worry about. In one case, a fake agent calls with the story that a list of IBAN numbers has been found, including the victim’s account number. In the other case, it is a so-called employee of the ‘Fraud Prevention Team’ who convinces the victim that all kinds of suspicious matters have been reported, so that bank cards and jewelry must be secured. In both cases, after a long telephone contact, a ‘bank employee’ arrives to collect and secure the items.
Women aged 81 and 85 were victims
The victims, women aged 81 and 85 from Twello and Zutphen, only found out later that they had been scammed, were left dazed and called the police. Naturally, an investigation is being conducted.
That same Friday, a reporter from Zutphen saw something suspicious at the ATM at De Brink: a pinner with a face covering. Officers immediately respond to the report and manage to arrest two suspects: 19-year-old men. One without a permanent place of residence and one from the municipality of Lochem. Stolen bank cards and jewelry are found with the men, which can be traced back to the two victims. Further investigation is now underway. The attentive witness was personally thanked by the team management of the IJsselstreek police team with a bouquet of flowers.
Alertness crucial
The East Netherlands police have been working with the so-called ‘Digital Control Room’ for several months now. A working title, because the process runs through the regular control room. Agents are sent directly to reports of digital crime. Objective: immediate care for the often older victims and increasing the chance of an arrest in the act. In the first three months, such reports were responded to more than three hundred times. Bank helpdesk fraud, the scam by so-called bank employees, had the largest share (68 percent).
In addition to the deployment of the police, alertness of possible witnesses is crucial. In the event of a suspicious situation, such as the case in Zutphen, 112 can always be called. This way, agents can act immediately and quickly. In addition, it helps to talk about forms of digital crime, in order to make potential victims resilient. For example, bank employees or agents never come to the door to collect bank cards or valuables. The most important tip is to always hang up and call the known number of the relevant agency. The conclusion is often that it is a scam.
More information about helpdesk fraud can be found here.
^SV 2024167005 / 2024166929
