An elderly couple was robbed by a fake doctor and nurse. Scammed over 70,000 zloty

Crimes in which fraudsters pose as doctors or other health care professionals are becoming more and more common. Recently, there was a situation in which a senior couple believed a fake doctor and nurse, whom they let into their home under the pretext of “free medical service”. The crime was reported by the Municipal Police Headquarters in Częstochowa, which warns against this type of fraud. Elderly people are particularly at risk.

An elderly couple was robbed by a fake doctor and nurse

On Monday (04/09/2023), a couple from Częstochowa, aged over 70, reported to the police that there had been a theft in their apartment, during which over PLN 70,000 had been lost. Police findings show that the crime was committed by two women posing as a doctor and a nurse. The women entered the seniors’ apartment to receive a free therapeutic massage. Through deception, they robbed the couple of their savings. The police did not reveal whether the women had made an appointment with the seniors in advance or whether they came to their apartment “straight from the street.”

The police warn against fraud

Older people are most likely to fall victim to this type of fraud. “Despite a large number of information campaigns aimed at warning older people about possible threats, such as fraud involving a grandchild, a senior citizen and the like, there are still cases in which fraudsters take advantage of the fact that these people trust another person to want to help them, and as a result, they lose their life savings,” reads the text of the message published by the Municipal Police Headquarters in Częstochowa.

Recently, there was also a lot of talk about a new fraud method in the form of a phone call from a doctor – criminals called and tried to extort money from older people, informing them that their loved one was seriously ill and needed funds for their treatment. Fraudsters are ruthless, which is why the police appeal to remind seniors as often as possible about this type of threats: “That is why prevention is so important and telling older people how fraudsters operate and in what aspects of life they may try to deceive them. We warn everyone, especially elderly people staying alone in an apartment or house, against letting in unknown people offering various services such as: medical services, selling various types of devices and home furnishings, but also unknown employees taking readings or wanting to repair a failure, e.g. water or electricity or gas.”

What to do not to be deceived?

It is very important to be careful when interacting with strangers. You should never give money to people you don’t know. It is also worth being cautious and not letting strangers into your apartment, even if they pretend to be a doctor, nurse, etc. Such words, contrary to appearances, should not increase their credibility at all.

You also cannot trust people who pretend to be our loved ones or relatives over the phone and ask for money. Such contacts may pose a risk of fraud and, consequently, loss of cash. If a situation seems suspicious, be sure to notify the police about an attempted fraud by calling 112.