Law enforcement continues to receive information from citizens about fraudsters who pretend to be police officers and try to defraud them of money. Fraudsters demand large sums of money so that the relatives of the victims allegedly avoid responsibility.
Most of all the victims are seniors who received calls from fraudsters that their relatives – daughter or son – were involved in a traffic accident and need financial support to pay for rehabilitation or avoid liability. Fraudsters mostly call the victims and ask them not to hang up, meanwhile criminal couriers personally come to the victims’ residences to receive money. In several cases, the victims themselves have provided information about their place of residence.
For example, in Daugavpils, a man born in 1929 was approached by unknown men who called themselves police officers. The victim was told that his loved one had suffered and that he needed money. In total, 10,000 euros were defrauded from the victim.
In connection with the case, criminal proceedings have been initiated according to Article 177, Part 2 of the Criminal Law for fraud, if it was committed on a significant scale or if it was committed by a group of persons after a prior agreement. Such a criminal offense is punishable by imprisonment for a period of up to five years or by temporary imprisonment, or by probation supervision, or by community service, or by a fine, with confiscation of property or without confiscation of property.
In another case, the woman received a call from an unknown person who pretended to be the victim’s daughter and said that she had caused a traffic accident and asked for 7,000 euros in cash. The victim woman gave the amount of money to an unknown man.
Also, unknown persons called a woman born in 1935 and announced that her relative had caused a traffic accident and that it was necessary to provide financial support so that they would not report the incident to VP employees. When the criminals arrived at the woman, they gave her a phone call with a supposed relative of the victim in order to convince her. The victim believed because the voice she heard corresponded to the voice of her relative. In total, 3,000 euros were defrauded from the woman.
VP officials have also received information that an unknown man wrote to a woman born in 1938 on the Facebook platform, who gained the woman’s trust during the correspondence. The man asked the victim to transfer money because he had health problems and needed material help. The victim made two money transfers, after which the man stopped correspondence with the victim. As a result, 1060 euros were defrauded from the victim.
In connection with these cases, criminal proceedings have been initiated according to Article 177, Part 1 of the Criminal Law, namely, for acquiring someone else’s property or the right to such property by abuse of trust or fraud. The commission of such a crime is punishable by deprivation of liberty for up to three years or by temporary deprivation of liberty, or by probation supervision, or by community service, or by a fine.
The police call on the citizens to be vigilant and to stop it immediately if they receive such a suspicious call. Law enforcement officers emphasize that neither the VP nor other law enforcement officers will ever call to ask for money or access codes to bank accounts.
VP calls on citizens to be attentive and to warn elderly people about such frauds.
2024-08-28 07:31:33