The 32-year-old resident of Leiden received a phone call on July 25 from someone posing as a bank employee. The victim did not trust it and contacted the police while still speaking with the scammer. It quickly became clear that it was a confidence trick, allowing officers to arrest the two suspects later at the residence.
Investigation revealed that these two suspects, a 19-year-old man and a 21-year-old man, both from Amsterdam, could be linked to five other fraud cases. Among them was a fraud case where a victim lost tens of thousands of euros worth of jewelry. The investigation also showed that these two suspects were directed by two other suspects who instructed them where to go and what the PIN codes were. These two suspects, a 23-year-old man from Almere and a 26-year-old man from Amsterdam, were arrested on October 29 and 30. A luxury car was also seized during these arrests.
Do not let them in, no matter what they claim
Confidence tricks are excuses criminals use to defraud people. The scammers often appear trustworthy. They call, come to the door, or approach people on the street with a convincing story. They then ask questions about money and other valuable possessions. However, a real police officer or bank employee will never call or come to the 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 the door. The police can then verify whether it is a confidence trick. This increases the chance of catching them in the act. Additionally, it helps the police to monitor this type of crime and, as in this case, can lead to multiple suspects being arrested who direct the fake officers on the street.
