Scammers are calling elderly people from foreign numbers, posing as relatives involved in road traffic accidents, and attempting to extort money. The perpetrators claim that a loved one has allegedly caused an accident and owes a large sum of money to the victims. Alternatively, they state that money is needed to resolve a criminal case.
Scammers are calling elderly people from foreign numbers, posing as relatives involved in road traffic accidents, and attempting to extort money. The perpetrators claim that a loved one has allegedly caused an accident and owes a large sum of money to the victims. Alternatively, they state that money is needed to resolve a criminal case.
On April 18 alone, fraudsters attempted to deceive over 50 individuals who contacted the special hotline 102 after speaking with them. The calls to Vitebsk residents were received last Monday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The perpetrators managed to defraud two residents of the Pervomaisky District of Vitebsk.
An 82-year-old pensioner fell victim to a scammer. He received a call on his mobile phone from an unknown person claiming to be a representative of his daughter, who lives in Moscow. The caller stated that his daughter had caused a road traffic accident and that a large sum of money was required to resolve the issue with the police. The man was persuaded to put all his available savings into a bag and hand it over to a courier who would collect it. The pensioner followed all instructions precisely and even packed necessary items for his daughter's hospital stay. A courier collected the bag containing $4,500. After calling his daughter and learning that she was fine, the man contacted the police.
A 73-year-old resident of Vitebsk handed over $5,480 to a courier after receiving a call from someone claiming to be her grandson, who stated he had caused a road traffic accident. The scammers staged a whole performance. To enhance credibility, a "so-called investigator" joined the conversation. The woman became flustered and believed the perpetrators, handing over all the money she had at home.
Scammers deliberately play on the emotions of elderly people and create situations where refusal is impossible. A stressful situation is intentionally created; scammers know that when a loved one is in trouble, many people tend to panic and, consequently, act rashly. Scammers also often explain voice discrepancies by citing communication problems and injuries sustained in the accident. Frequently, to deflect suspicion, scammers interrupt the conversation and pass the phone to an accomplice – a fake law enforcement officer.
Upon receiving
if you receive a call from an unknown number, do not engage in conversation with the unknown person, panic, or do as they say. First and foremost, you should contact your relatives using phone numbers known to you to ensure everything is alright. Under no circumstances should you transfer or hand over money to anyone.