"I want to clarify once again that if someone calls you and starts talking about unpaid invoices, orders for gadgets, bank numbers, card numbers, hang up the phone," says Mikael Månsson, head of the preliminary investigation fraud at the regional level.

Many cases in a short time

Of the ten new cases recently received by the police region, two occurred in Katrineholm, one in Nyköping and one in Eskilstuna.

The police describe that in some cases the fraudsters succeed in the crimes, despite the fact that the victim knew whether not to trust someone posing as a police officer, for example. One of these cases took place in Eskilstuna.

"The plaintiff has met two fraudsters who have said they are police officers. Before the person lets these two in, the person says the police said not to do that. But then the fraudsters show off a police badge plus some kind of police clothing, so the plaintiff thinks it's police she's letting in. It later turns out that in addition to the plaintiff giving up bank cards, the fraudsters have also stolen jewelry, says Mikael Månsson.

Face masks – a strategy

The reports received by the police in recent times show how the use of face masks during the fraud has become commonplace.

"No one in their 80s and 90s reacts to walking around wearing a mask today. So it has become like a different type of masking that they use due to the pandemic, says Mikael Månsson.

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