Beware of fake calls This brazen Spitex scam targets senior citizens
Fraudsters call elderly people in the name of Spitex to arrange an appointment. The Spitex Association Zurich urges caution.
When it comes to taking money out of people's pockets, fraudsters are notoriously creative. The latest scam: fake calls in the name of Spitex with suspected criminal intentions, as the Spitex Association Zurich writes in a press release.
The calls come from business numbers starting with "058 502". The Spitex Association of the Canton of Zurich has informed the Zurich cantonal police about this approach, which is apparently already known from tips from other institutions.
In the fake calls, people - sometimes with a strong accent - want to arrange a "health check" and request the address for an appointment.
Caution is advised, for example
- if the call comes from an unusual number.
- the person calling gives strange information about the name of Spitex or is unable to give it.
- the name and voice of the person calling are unfamiliar.
- the pronunciation is in unusually broken German.
- the name and address are requested - Spitex knows its existing customers and does not ask for such information.
- the way in which appointments are made does not meet the usual standards of your Spitex organization.
If in doubt, the association recommends hanging up and calling back to the usual Spitex number. The police should also be informed. Other cantons and media reports have reported cases of valuables being stolen during such visits.
Elderly people are often the targets of such calls. The Zurich Cantonal Police and its Senior Citizens Protection Unit have set up a "Safety in old age" page with information for senior citizens.
