A joint operation by UK, German, and Polish law enforcement, supported by Europol, resulted in the arrest of a criminal network leader. Operating from near London, the suspect defrauded elderly victims across Germany and Poland.
Victims were targeted via phone calls from fraudsters posing as police or government officials and then were told that a family member was implicated in a serious accident causing injury or death.
An accomplice would then take the call, impersonating the distressed relative in need of financial assistance to avoid detention. This method aimed to manipulate victims emotionally, inducing them to provide money.
The scam ring used online job platforms to recruit unsuspecting accomplices, who were sent to victims’ residences to collect the money. This strategy minimized the fraudsters’ risk of direct exposure but wasn’t the only method used by criminals.
“Criminal networks active in impersonation frauds pose a significant threat within the EU and are highly adaptable to wider developments. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, some perpetrators adapted their schemes to pretend to be sick relatives in need of money,” the police explain.
The operation led to the confiscation of crucial evidence, including mobile phones, from the suspect’s residence. Searches in Germany yielded over 160,000 Euros in cash, gold, jewelry, and electronic devices.
Despite preventing an estimated 1.4 million Euros in losses, the overall damage inflicted is thought to be around 5 million Euros in total. On top of these staggering financial losses,
Europol stressed the importance of protecting yourself, urging individuals not to share personal information with unknown callers. They reminded the public that official authorities will never ask for money or payments over the phone or at the door.
Europol, along with the UK’s National Crime Agency, Germany’s Bureau of Investigation Baden-Wuerttemberg, Poland’s Criminal Bureau of the National Police Headquarters, and Vivoidship Police Headquarters are currently undergoing further investigations.