Police in Europe dismantle international phone scam operation targeting the elderly

Europol as well as police in Germany, Poland and the UK have disrupted an international criminal network that inflected over 5 million euros in damages to elderly victims via phone scams.

The NCA (National Crime Agency) in the UK arrested the alleged head of the criminal organization near London, with about 70 additional individuals taken into custody after simultaneous raids were conducted across Europe, according to a press release.

How the scam worked

Police said scammers mostly targeted senior citizens in Germany and Poland. While posing as police officers or other government officials, the fraudsters would inform the victim over the phone that a family member had been responsible for a car accident that resulted in the death or injury of others.

“The scam caller would then hand over the phone to an accomplice, who would cry or scream into the phone frantically, imploring the victim to lend help,” police explained. “This approach was intended to shock the elderly person, allowing the caller to proceed with the fraudulent procedure and ask for the handover of money to avoid the fake relative’s detention.”

The scammer would then send a third party to the victim’s home to collect the money. Some of these ‘accomplices’ were recruited via online job platforms and had no idea they were aiding an extensive scam operation.

Europol also underlined the profound emotional and financial impact such scam operations have on seniors who, apart from long-term financial damage, suffer terrible emotional distress and lose their trust in legitimate organizations and law enforcement.

Police urge citizens to stay vigilant and never divulge personal or financial information to individuals who contact them out of the blue. Law enforcement agents, government officials or healthcare personnel will never ask for you to wire money, pay in cash or gift cards or show up at your door because a family member caused or was in an accident.

Recipients of such messages or phone calls should immediately hang up and call the police.