Watch out! Fake police officers on the line. More and more people are currently receiving calls from criminals pretending to be police officers. They fake facts and sometimes use call bots to get their victims to make payments. But: The calls do not come from the police.

Call bot calls

In call bot calls, perpetrators use certain computer programs, so-called call bots, to call potential victims. A tape recording in English is played to the victims. The number that appears on the callee's display was forged using technical means and is therefore not traceable. The victims are then supposed to press a certain key combination, which means that the perpetrators select in advance those people who would immediately hang up on such calls or who do not speak English. English-speaking perpetrators then report, posing as (Interpol) police officers. The victim is informed that they are involved in criminal activities such as money laundering, fraud, drug or violent crimes and now have to pay bail.

Fake police officers

Another common approach is the “fake cop” trick. Here, older people are specifically called by the perpetrators, who pose as criminal investigators. They tell the victim that, for example, a gang of burglars is up to mischief in the area and that they will break into the person they call next. In order to keep the valuables and possible assets safe, they should be handed over to the “police officer” for safekeeping. If there is a meeting, the accomplices collect the money and valuables.

Different approaches

A variation of the “fake police” trick is bail fraud. The perpetrators’ approach is similar here: they inform the victim that a close relative was involved in an accident and is now in custody, which is why they now have to pay bail were.
In order to unsettle their victims, the fraudsters invent adventurous stories, such as that the bank employees are involved in criminal activities. The victims are then supposed to withdraw cash at the bank counter and then hand it over to the “police” to secure fingerprints.

Perpetrators exert pressure

The perpetrators act in accordance with the situation and focus entirely on the victim. For every argument the victim makes, the fraudsters find a suitable, plausible counter-argument. Whether compassionate or aggressive, the only thing important to the perpetrators is to make the urgency of the matter clear to the victim. This creates stress, time pressure and fear in the victim. The criminals also claim that it is important not to tell anyone about the call so as not to jeopardize the investigation.

Cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce

The Federal Criminal Police Office's crime prevention and the initiative Together.Sicher have intensified cooperation with the banking sector via the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKO) and developed a guideline for counter workers. The Austrian Senior Citizens' Council is also an important partner in prevention work. By using the action guide, crimes have already been prevented and saved assets have been preserved.

Prevention tips for the “fake police” trick

  • Don't reveal any details about your assets!
  • Don't let yourself be put under pressure - hang up!
  • Don't let strangers into your apartment!
  • Demand an official ID card from alleged officials!
  • Never hand over money to strangers!
  • Consult people in your personal environment!
  • Take warnings from bank employees seriously!
  • Contact the emergency number 133 and ask whether this police officer really exists!
  • In the event of damage, report it to the nearest police station!

Further information

Further information about the “fake police officer” trick and other types of fraud can be found, in addition to the warnings here on Mimikama, also on the Austrian Federal Criminal Police Office website here . Please also be sure to warn older people around you who may not have their own access to this information but are a preferred target group for fraudsters. In principle, these instructions also apply to German users.

Source: Austrian Federal Criminal Police Office

Also interesting! BSI warns against the use of unsafe wireless door locks from the ABUS brand


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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )