New brazen scam Fake police officers on the phone and in the neighborhood rip off their victims

The Bern police are warning of a brazen scam. The perpetrators are trying to obtain bank cards and PIN codes from their victims. They appear both on the phone and in person as fake police officers.

Fraudsters are currently using a new brazen scam to trick their victims. The Bern cantonal police are currently warning against fake police officers who are on the move, particularly in the Bernese Jura.

Since mid-October, an increasing number of cases of fraudulent telephone calls have been reported in the region. The callers pretend to be police officers. The victims are asked to go to the nearest police station with their bank cards or bank accounts in order to resolve any problems.

A second person waits near the victim's home. She also pretends to be a policeman or policewoman and promises to take care of the matter if the victims hand over their bank cards and PIN codes.

Once in possession of the data and cards, the perpetrators withdraw cash from the nearest bank. According to the Bern police, this has already been successful in at least four cases, with the crooks taking several thousand francs.

Police advise people to always be suspicious

The perpetrators of this scam wear civilian clothes and the telephone fraud is not attempted in German, but now also in French. The cantonal police advise people to always be suspicious of calls from strangers. Especially if they ask you to withdraw cash or hand over money, bank cards or valuables.

If you are the victim of such a phone call, it is best to hang up immediately and report the call to the police. Under no circumstances should personal data, passwords or details of financial circumstances be revealed over the phone. "The police never ask for bank cards and/or PIN codes," clarifies Kapo Bern.

Senior citizens in particular are targeted by fraudsters: "Talk to older people around you about this and pass on the warning," the police ask.