The Swedish police have seen a clear increase in fraud and attempted fraud against the elderly since the beginning of the year and are now warning about the trend.
– Do not let strangers into your home. Those who carry out these scams have links to criminal networks, says Lotta Mauritzson, coordinator at the National Fraud Center.
The fraudsters seem to be mainly looking to steal elderly people’s gold – a metal that has increased sharply in value recently.
The most common modus operandi is for the criminal network to first call by phone and claim they are coming to take possession of jewelry and other valuables under the pretext that it would be unsafe for seniors to keep them in their homes.
There are also cases where thieves ask if they can come and weigh the jewelry – but steal it instead. In total, the police have recorded around 20 different types of fraud, with perpetrators often claiming to be from government agencies, banks or retail chains.
“Lock the door”
– End the call and lock the door. By that time, an accomplice of the fraudster may already be on his way to your home, a so-called collector, Lotta Mauritzson advises.
– Lock yourself in and call the police, 114 14, and report what you have been through as soon as you receive the suspicious call from the scammer. If you feel that the scammers are heading towards your home, call 112, then it is an ongoing crime. If you are unable to do this yourself, contact a relative who can do it for you, she continues.
At the moment, the Gothenburg and Stockholm areas are said to be particularly affected and the police note that almost all scams start with a phone call or text message and that it is almost exclusively the elderly who are exposed.
How to protect yourself and your elderly relatives:
- Hang up the phone. A caller may say they are a relative or from the bank, for example. If you are not sure who is calling, end the call.
- Do not log in. Never log in with your bank ID if someone calls and asks you to. Don't give out codes from your bank box or payment card either.
- Do not trust the sender. Via email, text message or phone call, the scammer will try to get you to hand over cash, jewelry, valuables or your account and card details.
- Do not let strangers into your home. Lock the door. The police or companies never go to someone's home to collect valuables. If someone contacts you with such a request, they are a fraudster.
- Never hand over your ID, bank cards or your code to anyone else.
- Contact the police. If the crime is in progress, call 112. If the crime is not in progress, call 114 14 (Sweden only).
Source: Polisen.se
