Earlier this week, a 93-year-old woman from the Kolding area fell victim to a serious fraud scheme, where she was tricked into providing her payment card, PIN code, and a total of 70,000 Danish kroner (approximately 10,000 US dollars) in cash. The Southeast Jutland Police (Sydøstjyllands Politi) have since arrested two men, aged 23 and 28, who are suspected of being behind the crime.
The two suspects are expected to appear at a preliminary hearing at the Kolding Court (Retten i Kolding) on Thursday, where the prosecution will seek to have them remanded in custody. According to the police, the perpetrators posed as bank employees during a phone call to the elderly woman. They later visited her home, where she handed over her payment card, PIN, and cash.
Deputy Police Inspector Torben Simonsen stated that the case is taken very seriously because the criminals are specifically targeting the most vulnerable members of society. He emphasized that victims not only suffer significant financial losses but also lose trust in others, leading to fear of being at home.
The police investigation, which has included descriptions of the suspects, resulted in the arrests of the two men on Wednesday. One of the suspects, the 23-year-old, is also charged in two other cases. In July, he impersonated a police investigator and deceived an 83-year-old Kolding resident into giving up her payment card, PIN code, and 50,000 Danish kroner (approximately 7,000 US dollars). Furthermore, he is also charged with stealing jewelry and payment cards from an 89-year-old resident in Haderslev.
Both men face charges under Denmark’s penal code regarding fraud. The police have chosen not to provide further comment on the charges, but the detained individuals will have the opportunity to speak at the preliminary hearing. For the sake of ongoing investigations, the hearing is expected to take place behind closed doors.
Another suspected perpetrator is believed to have assisted in the fraud against the 93-year-old woman, but this individual remains at large. The Southeast Jutland Police continue to work on identifying and apprehending the third person involved in the case.