Arrests in Neuchâtel
A hundred affairs of false police officers since early July
This type of scam swarms in the canton of Neuchâtel. Faced with the persistence of the phenomenon, the police recall the rules of prudence.
The targeted victims are mainly elderly women, often alone, bearing current names in the 1930s to 50s and still having a fixed telephone line (pretext photo).
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The phenomenon of scams at false policeman Or at the false banker is very active in the canton of Neuchâtel. In the space of two weeks, eight people related to this type of offenses were arrested. And since 1is July, no less than 100 cases in this way were identified in the region, report the public and the Neuchâtel police in a joint statement on Wednesday.
It is mainly young adults under the age of 25 who carry out these scams, detail the authorities. Five French men aged 18 to 26 were thus arrested by Neuchâtel police. Three women, also French and aged 19 to 26, were apprehended in business in connection with the canton by the Vaud and Geneva police.
These operations have enabled more than 50,000 francs, jewelry and bank cards. Part of the loot could be returned to the victims. Of the hundred cases listed, 30 relate to a total damage of more than 30,000 francs. The rest represents scam attempts. Criminal instructions have been opened by the public prosecutor.
Neuchâtel police call for vigilance
Faced with the persistence and the magnitude of the phenomenon, Police call for vigilance And said intensifying his fight against such scams that first play on the phone, then at the home of the targeted people. According to Neuchâtel authorities, “the typical victims of these offenses are single women, whose first name was commonly used in the 1930s and who had a fixed telephone line”.
“The authorities invite relatives of this population, often little connected to modern and particularly vulnerable means of communication, to raise it actively and to remain attentive,” the press release insists. Which also recalls the rules to avoid these scams:
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Hang immediately in case of doubt.
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Do not communicate any personal or banking information by phone.
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Never give your card and codes.
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Never give cash, bank card or valuables to an unknown person.
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Do not give in, even in an emergency or pressure.
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Immediately report any suspicious situation to the police at 117.
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