Bruges (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – 15 seniors in Bruges were scammed last week, losing up to €6,000 each. Police’s Lien Depoorter warns scammers pose as banks or insurers, urging families to warn elderly relatives.
As VRT News reported, 15 people in Bruges were caught in online scams last week. Police say most of the victims are over 70. Scammers pick older people because they trust easily and may not know much about online safety. The criminals pretend to be from Card Stop or a health insurance fund.
These thieves will call or email you and sound serious by creating fake problems like blocked cards or an account needing fixing. They’ll gain the person’s trust before asking for PIN codes, bank details, or even passwords or other private information. Some will ask victims to install software that secretly allows the thief to control the victim’s computer or phone.
How are scammers in Bruges tricking seniors out of their savings?
Depoorter says the scammers are very good at tricking people.
“They are very good at explaining things and can be pushy,”
She said. Police in Bruges are warning everyone to be careful and remind people that real banks or health groups will never ask for PIN codes or passwords by phone or email.
“They scare people,”
Says Lien Depoorter from the Bruges police.
She explains that scammers use fear to trick their victims. They call or send messages that sound urgent and serious. They make the person believe that something bad will happen if they do not act right away. This fear makes many people fall for the scam.
Once the scammers gain trust, they steal money from the victim’s account. Each person can lose between €3,000 and €6,000. Depoorter says this is a big loss. Sometimes the bank can return the money, but not always. In many cases, the victim never gets their savings back.
“We ask people to warn their parents and grandparents about online fraud,”
Says Lien Depoorter.
“It can happen very quickly with just one call or one message.”
A scam happened earlier this year in Ghent, where several seniors were also targeted by fake callers pretending to be from their bank. The fraudsters used the same tricks, warning the victims that their bank cards were blocked or that their money was at risk. Many of the people who believed the story handed over personal details or even their cards to someone who came to their door.
