Overview
- Scammers call elderly people posing as police or bank staff, frighten them into showing or handing over jewellery and bank cards, then use the cards and PINs to withdraw cash at nearby ATMs.
- Officers this week published a clear CCTV photo tied to withdrawals in Den Bosch after an initial period of blurring when the suspect was believed to be underage and had a chance to come forward.
- A Rotterdam case from late March remains under investigation where a 73-year-old was tricked into giving his card and PIN and about €950 was later withdrawn from a Geldmaat ATM.
- Regional police also linked a case in Arnhem where an 86-year-old’s card was collected by a fake courier and a man wearing a North Face jacket and distinctive Nike trousers made large cash withdrawals at local ATMs (case code PD267).
- Police ask anyone who recognizes the people in the images to call the Opsporingstiplijn at 0800-6070 or report anonymously to Meld Misdaad Anoniem at 0800-7000 and warn families to brief older relatives on this coercive scam method.