A prosecutor in Panevėžys has handed a fraud case involving three men, accused of orchestrating a phone scam, to the court after they extorted nearly 9,000 euros from an elderly woman.
The Panevėžys District Prosecutor's Office has concluded a pre-trial investigation and sent a case to court, alleging that three men are part of an organized group involved in phone fraud. The accused were arrested due to the swift operational work of the police after they managed to extort almost 9,000 euros from an elderly woman from Panevėžys. Their quick actions ensured that the scam money was returned to the victim, highlighting the importance of police efficiency in combatting such crimes.
The investigation revealed that one of the accused, D. M., aged 32 and previously convicted 23 times, tricked the victim by impersonating a police investigator during a phone call. He deceived the elderly woman into believing that she had used counterfeit money to pay her utility bills, claiming that it was necessary to check all the cash she had at home. This manipulative tactic kept her engaged in conversation for almost an hour, preventing her from alerting family or authorities about the scam.
The criminal activity was meticulously coordinated, as on the same day, another member of the group, J. L., was brought to the victim's residence by H. J. This case underscores the prevalent issue of phone scams targeted at vulnerable individuals, particularly the elderly, and reinforces the need for continuous public awareness and police vigilance in tackling such fraudulent schemes.
