The court in Groningen today dealt with two cases of bank helpdesk fraud. By posing as bank employees, the suspects trick vulnerable elderly people into handing over bank cards, cash, and PIN codes. Large sums of money are then withdrawn using the stolen cards. The prosecutor stated: “If I were the suspect and had read and heard how this was experienced by the elderly people, I would be deeply ashamed.”
Unfortunately, bank helpdesk fraud occurs frequently and causes societal unrest. For victims, the consequences can be severe. “This is also evident from the statement of one of the victims. She is afraid to go outside alone and is anxious when the phone rings. Her phone was forwarded to her son. It is a shame that this woman has to live like this. The suspect spent a considerable amount of time in her house. She had to watch him take her money. Money that her deceased husband worked hard for. Money intended to pay for her own funeral.”
Victims also suffer financial damage because banks do not cover everything. This applies even when cash amounts are taken. Additionally, victims often feel ashamed for having fallen for the lies of scammers. ‘The suspect has made all of this secondary to his own interest in money,” says the prosecutor. He demands a 24-month prison sentence for the 25-year-old suspect, of which eight months are conditional.
In the afternoon, another suspect, a 21-year-old, stood trial for similar offenses. This suspect is accused of defrauding 22 individuals and stealing money from 19 of them using a false key. It is alleged that he took €30,000 in cash and also stole many pieces of jewelry. All the money and goods were handed over to those who used him as a runner. The suspect claims he acted under pressure and did not earn anything from it. The prosecutor criticizes the suspect for scamming elderly, vulnerable people by coming to their doors as bank employees, and then getting them to hand over bank cards with PIN codes and, in some cases, cash, jewelry, phones, and tablets. She finds it particularly reprehensible that the victims were deliberately chosen because they are elderly and therefore more vulnerable and dependent. She states in her indictment that the victims have been deprived of material goods due to bank helpdesk fraud, but also – and perhaps worse – their trust in humanity and their sense of safety. The prosecutor demands a 30-month prison sentence, of which 10 months are conditional with a probation period of three years.