An elderly woman from Pernik lost her savings after a phone scam, the police reported. On January 21, she received a call between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. A man who introduced himself as an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs called the 89-year-old woman from Pernik.
The imaginary policeman told the woman that a major theft had been committed and that her cooperation was needed to prevent another similar robbery. The fraudster also said that she should collect all the money she had, put it in a bag and hand it over to an employee of the Ministry of Interior.
So, keeping her on the phone for about two hours, without allowing her to call anyone, the woman collected the sums of 6,000 leva and about 3,200 euros and handed them over to the alleged police officer.
Most likely, after she realized what had happened, the deceived woman went into shock and did not answer the phone calls of her relatives.
Very worried, they could not enter the apartment because the key was placed from the inside and had to use the services of a locksmith.
It was only around 8:00 p.m. that a police report was filed and appropriate actions were taken to identify the perpetrators. Pre-trial proceedings have been initiated and the prosecutor's office has been notified.
The Regional Directorate of Internal Affairs - Pernik advises on how to avoid becoming a victim of telephone fraud:
1. Do not believe emergency calls! Fraudsters often create panic: “emergency operation“, “arrest of a loved one“, “incident“, “robbery“. This is a classic trick.
2. Never give money or personal information over the phone! Police, doctors, banks and institutions do not ask for money, PIN codes or passwords over the phone.
3. End the conversation and check! Hang up the phone and call the loved one personally or an official number of the institution.
4. Do not trust strangers posing as officials! Fraudsters often pose as police officers, doctors, prosecutors or bank employees.
5. Do not follow instructions for “undercover operations“! No one has the right to ask you for assistance in a “secret operation“ or to leave money in a certain place.
6. Talk to your elderly relatives! Elderly people are the most common target. Explain to them regularly how fraudsters operate.
7. Remember: pressure = fraud! If you are pressured to act quickly and “without telling anyone“ — it is almost certainly a fraud.
8. Report immediately! If you suspect or attempt fraud, call 112 and report the number and details of the conversation.