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Officers took immediate action when they received this report. The officers waited in the home of the woman who had been in contact by phone with one of the fake officers. When the suspect rang the doorbell, the officers were able to immediately arrest a 16-year-old boy from Nieuwegein. Shortly thereafter, the officers managed to arrest a second suspect, a 20-year-old man from Vianen. Both suspects are in custody.

Seven Reports in One Day

In the past twenty-four hours, reports of fake officers have been made in seven different locations. Reports came in from Deventer, Zwolle, Winterswijk, Groenlo, Aalten, Oldenzaal, and Vriezenveen. In all these reports, actions were taken in almost identical ways. They asked for money, jewelry, or a bank card. The victims were first contacted by phone and could then expect a visit at home.

Increase in Reports of Fake Officers

The police receive reports about fake officers almost daily. They contact victims by phone or at the door with a story about possible (burglary) risks at the victims address. Valuable items must be secured as quickly as possible. These are obviously not officers, but criminals. You wouldnt fall for that, would you? Certainly! Daily, fake officers make victims, and the damage can sometimes amount to thousands of euros. The criminals are often well-prepared and have a lot of information about their victims. This can make it seem like it is really the police. Sometimes they even wear a (part of the) uniform.

We also see that various reports of bank helpdesk fraud continue to come in. Bank helpdesk fraud is a form of fraud where victims are contacted by phone by individuals posing as bank employees. They inform the victims that the money in their bank account(s) is no longer safe and then pressure them to secure their money (with or without help). In reality, the victims transfer money to an account controlled by the fraudsters.

Criminals Come Up with More Tricks

In addition to fake officers, there are more tricks that criminals use to obtain money or valuable items from victims. They may pose as supposed employees of the bank, an employee of the energy company, or a care worker. Fraudsters abuse the names of companies or agencies that victims trust. They regularly succeed in doing this. In this case, officers were informed in time, allowing two suspects to be arrested red-handed.

What Can You Do If You Are Called by a Fake Officer or Bank Employee?

The most important tip is to always check first whether the story is true. Were you called without reason or unexpectedly? Check if this is true.
If you are called, you can take the following actions:

• Hang up immediately if you are called by someone claiming to be from the police or who claims to be from a bank. First, check the story if you are asked to set aside jewelry and a bank card;
• Call the police at 0900-8844 and verify with them whether you were really called by a police officer. In the case of a bank employee, also hang up and then call your bank directly to check if this is true;
• If you have given any information (for example, an address), do not let anyone in.

If someone is at the door:

• Do not just open the door for someone who claims to be from the police. Not even if the person at the door claims to be from your bank. First, ask for the police identification and personnel number of the person at the door and also call the police at 112 to check the number. In the case of the bank employee, also ask him or her to identify themselves;
• A real police officer can always identify themselves with a valid police identification card. This is a card that contains the name, personnel number, and a photo. This proof is a card made of polycarbonate, just like a drivers license. The police identification card also has several visible and invisible authenticity features so that it is less easy to forge. Here is an example. A police officer in plain clothes must always voluntarily show the police identification card.