A man from Assen has been arrested because he tried to shop in Zwolle with the stolen debit card of an elderly lady of 90 years. According to the police, he tried to buy expensive products in the Overijssel capital, including the latest IPhone.
The woman from Zwolle was defrauded via so-called bank helpdesk fraud. In doing so, criminals, posing as bank employees, call their victims and convince them that their account has been hacked or that their bank card has been compromised. The fake bank staff then offers to collect the card, which can then be abused.
In this case, store employees, who viewed the 41-year-old Assenaar with suspicion after entering the store, were outsmarted. They spoke to the man, called the police and detained the suspect in the meantime.
After the arrest, officers contacted the woman, who stated that she had spoken with the suspect for ‘a few hours’. Police are investigating whether more people were involved in the scam.