On June 23, the police received reports of possible fake officers in Hardenberg and Dedemsvaart. In Hardenberg, a fraud was successful. The victims received calls with the excuse that the caller was from the police and that criminals had been in their neighborhood. They tried to arrange a visit to collect valuable items from peoples homes.
A vehicle with occupants was also seen and checked in Hardenberg that day, but the police did not have enough information at the time to arrest the two occupants. Today, the police arrested these two individuals: a 21-year-old man from Amsterdam and a 17-year-old man from Almere.
Meanwhile, the police have not been idle. Today, they also arrested a person suspected of acting as the client/organizer of this type of fraud. This concerns a 22-year-old man from Amsterdam.
Dont let them in, no matter what they claim
Scam tricks are excuses criminals use to deceive people, often successfully. They call, come to the door, or approach people on the street with a convincing story. However, a real police officer or bank employee will never call or come to your door to collect jewelry, money, or a bank card. The police advise always calling 112 if contacted by a (suspected) scammer or if a (suspected) scammer is at your door. The police can then verify if it is a scam. Earlier this year, the police started a collaboration with Omroep MAX to warn the elderly about fake officers: “Is it a fake officer, or is it okay? Check via 112!”