The police in East Brabant are seeing a worrying development: fake officers who mainly target the elderly. This year, according to police chief Wilbert Paulissen, there have already been almost 800 incidents. “The reliability of the police is really at stake.” Catching a fake cop is extremely difficult.
Until November 20, 777 reports of a fake officer had been received by the police in East Brabant. “In at least 76 cases it was possible to rob someone of his or her belongings and a report was filed,” says Paulissen.
Distrust
The fake agents work very cunningly. An example: A victim receives a call from a so-called police officer. They would have information that a robbery was going to take place. Someone is already on their way to secure jewelry and cash, among other things, in a safe. You are so scared that you want to get everything to safety.
This is how Tonnie (94) was robbed of all her jewelry:
“The reliability of the police is at stake,” the police chief emphasizes. “I already know an example of a colleague who stood in front of a door in uniform and armed and was not allowed in. There was distrust, fear that the officer was a fake.”
The first months of 2024 were quiet, Paulissen sees in the figures. “But in the summer months there were more than a hundred incidents per month.” The reports often come from one area within a short time. “They want to be within half an hour of a victim, so they can strike as quickly as possible.”
Caught red-handed
Paulissen says that a number of fake police officers were caught red-handed this year. He won’t say whether a real cop was inside while the fake cop was at the door, but he does laugh. “If there is a report, we go to the scene immediately.”
According to the police, it is not easy to catch the fake officer. “If a few robberies are successful, they change numbers again. Then we can start the investigation again.”
“Reporting immediately helps, but good information is also necessary. This is how the number of frauds via phishing decreased because banks clearly communicate that they will not put links in the email,” says Paulissen. “If in doubt, always call 0900-8844. And we will never pick up stuff, ever.”
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