The elderly or vulnerable are unfortunately the preferred targets of con artists and other thieves. The people of Rémois have recently paid the price, as L’Union reports. False police allegedly raged on December 27 in the region, via a well-oiled method. Elderly people have received a call from individuals claiming to be part of the “anti-fraud brigade of the police station” in Reims and asking them to buy PCS cards (prepaid cards sold at tobacconists).
“He told me that my bank account was going to be hacked for 1,300 euros and that in order to identify the perpetrators, I had to buy three PCS cards. He explained to me that this was the way for the police to stop them. when they would use these cards “, tells a victim to the regional daily. After going to buy the three cards, for a total of 750 euros, the latter was contacted by the scammer, who then asked her for the codes appearing on the coupons. And thanks to these numbers, he was then able to withdraw the money from an ATM.
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Several reports were made to the police station. According to the first elements of the investigation, the crooks would choose their victims from the directory according to their first names, favoring those who appear old (Françoise, Marie-Françoise, Simone, Raymonde …). According to the testimonies of victims, one of the interlocutors had “a heavy accent”, or “a slight accent from the South”, reports L’Union. “I blame myself for being cheated, but they are strong, the phone call was very well made. At one point, during the conversation, I heard a police siren behind, as if to make me believe that the gentleman called well from a police station “, relates one of the victims on a daily basis.
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