The police warn against a new form of fraud that targets older people (again). The perpetrators pose as bank employees and visit the victims’ homes, allegedly to help. Several people’s bank accounts were subsequently looted. The police ask that you never give your personal code or bank card to someone you do not know well and that you contact the police immediately.
It starts with a phone call from the bank that a fraudulent transaction has happened on your account and that someone will come immediately to solve the problem. In this way, a scammer, who poses as an employee of the bank and who speaks Dutch, tries to gain the trust of potential victims – most of them older than 80 years.
A moment later someone is at the door… The victim’s bank card is requested and some actions are performed – presumably with a card reader and via PC banking. The victim’s secret code is also extracted. In most cases, the first alleged bank employee calls back to ask if the other person is already on site. They reassure the victim and say that from now on the card is blocked and that further fraud is not possible. The bank will soon send a new bank card and also a new PIN, they say. They take the ‘old’ bank card with them.
Afterwards, various cash withdrawals, online purchases and also transfers abroad take place. Money is transferred from savings accounts to the current account, so that money can also be stolen. Victims lose large amounts of money in this way.
The perpetrators are very organized and are currently mainly active in the region around Waregem in West Flanders. Presumably they have already struck or could strike in other places as well.
The police want to warn people about this type of scam and asks that you never give your bank card or PIN to someone you don’t know well.
- A real bank employee will never ask for your personal code.
- A bank will never just send an employee home.
The police ask you to contact us immediately via the emergency number 101 if you receive a phone call from a so-called bank employee (as described above) and when that person says someone will come by† It is important that the police can intervene as quickly as possible. The emergency number 101 is for urgent police assistance only.
People who have previously been victims of this form of fraud are asked to definitely report this to their local police zone.
