Swindlers impersonating police officers may approach by phone or by visiting someone’s home. The swindlers may call several times, claiming they are in a hurry to get the user identifiers or that a crime has been committed. They may also tell that the person’s money is in jeopardy and that bank user identifiers are needed to secure the money. The purpose of these contacts has been to get a person to disclose their banking details, bank user identifiers, card details and possibly other valuables.
The police, banks or other authorities never ask for the information above by phone, email or in person. Your personal bank user identifiers must never be disclosed to other people, even if you are told to do so.
If a police officer contacts you, make sure he/she is a real police officer:
- Ask his/her name and the police station where he/she works; Call him/her back through the police telephone exchange;
- The telephone exchanges of the police departments can be found at:
- If a person claiming to be a police officer shows up at your door, ask them to show their badge before you let them in.
- If a police officer calls or a patrol shows up at your door asking for your banking details, call the emergency number 112.
Every time you become a target of this kind of a fraud attempt, call the emergency response centre and your bank, even if there are no financial losses. All information is important to the police to solve and prevent frauds by fake police officers.
In the notice the police remind: "The police also continue to appeal to senior citizens’ relatives and others who are dealing with senior citizens that they would discuss this phenomenon with the seniors. Senior citizens should be reminded that they must not hand over their bank cards or disclose any information related to them. Not even if the person asking for them says they are a police officer."
- Additional information on the police badge and on identifying
- “Protect your money from swindlers”, poliisi.fi: (in Finnish)