Because the perpetrators mainly target people over 70, a nationwide campaign to warn the elderly was launched in July in cooperation with Omroep Max. ‘Research shows that our message sticks well with the target group and their environment,’ says Van der Velden Walda. However, the figures show that scammers still often use trickery involving fake police officers. Therefore, warnings remain important.
In the Act
The advice to people who may have fake police officers at their door is always to call 112. Not only to check if someone at the door is a real police officer, explains Van der Velden Walda. ‘The chance that we can catch these fake officers in the act increases. Fortunately, we also see an increase in the number of suspects arrested.’ He urges people to report suspicious calls or visits, even if only an attempt was made. ‘Every report helps increase our investigative power.’
Overview of Figures
The number of incidents decreased after July but is rising again. Below is an overview of the number of incidents this year:
| Month | Number of Incidents |
|---|---|
| January | 1072 |
| February | 1365 |
| March | 1114 |
| April | 879 |
| May | 1085 |
| June | 1073 |
| July | 1312 |
| August | 853 |
| September | 798 |
| October | 1080 |
Method
Fake officers often call first to announce their visit or send a letter. They mention (armed) burglaries in the neighborhood and claim that the elderly are at risk of becoming victims as well. To supposedly protect them, the criminals want to collect valuable possessions from the elderly at home as a precaution to ‘secure’ them. They sometimes use names of officers or parts of the uniform. ‘The police never come to collect valuables such as jewelry, money, and bank cards with PIN codes,’ emphasizes Van der Velden Walda.
Serious Cases
‘Fake officers exploit the trust people have in the police,’ says Van der Velden Walda. ‘This causes not only material damage. Victims can suffer real emotional harm. And it damages trust in the police. That is unacceptable. Additionally, the police suspect that two suspects arrested on suspicion of involvement in the violent death of an 80-year-old woman from Amsterdam posed as officers to get in contact with the woman. This type of incident with fake officers is exceptional but very impactful and sad.
