Crime
AI
Narva Senior Loses €7000 in Multi-Stage Impersonation Scam
A 77-year-old woman in Narva was defrauded of 7,000 euros after scammers, posing as representatives from Eesti Energia and a bank, convinced her to hand over cash and her bank card to a courier in a multi-step deception.
- —A 77-year-old woman in Narva was defrauded of 7000 euros through a multi-stage phone scam involving fake utility company and bank representatives.
- —The scam began with a call from someone claiming to be from Eesti Energia, who requested the victim's personal identification code under the pretext of checking a water meter.
- —Subsequently, individuals posing as bank employees instructed the woman to withdraw cash from her account, which she then handed over to a courier.
- —The fraudsters continued the deception by claiming the victim needed to replace her bank card to prevent further fraud, leading to a second courier visit to collect the card.
- —The incident was reported to the police on January 30th, with the total financial loss amounting to 7000 euros.
Recap
This incident is not a simple phone scam but a coordinated criminal operation utilizing a multi-layered deception. The use of impersonation of trusted entities like a utility company and a bank, combined with the deployment of physical couriers, points to a well-organized group. The methodology suggests a pattern of activity targeting vulnerable demographics with tactics designed to systematically dismantle a victim's security, escalating from data theft to the physical collection of cash and financial instruments.