Åke, 80, got his account emptied • Son Michael: Must go to do something
When Åke, 80, was subjected to a telephone fraud, the preliminary investigation was closed after he reported the incident to the police.
Then his son Michael Weldersson took the matter into his own hands – and tracked up three suspected perpetrators.
“Anyway,” he says on “News Day”.
It was in November 2022 that Michael Weldersson’s father, 80-year-old Åke, was subjected to a telephone fraud. He was called by a person who claimed to work for a collection company. The person urged Åke to open insurance to protect his money.
– To open that insurance, he had to spend over SEK 100,000 in starting contributions for the insurance to apply, says Michael Weldersson, describing that the suspected fraudsters arrived at the father’s bank account.
During the night Åke woke up and realized that something was not right. When he logged into his account, he discovered that it had been emptied of money.
Found three suspicious perpetrators
The incident was reported to the police, but the preliminary investigation was closed shortly afterwards. Then Michael Weldersson decided to take the matter into his own hands and look for the perpetrators, something that Smålandsposten Previously reported. He requested documents and bank statements from the police and started “googling around,” he says.
– I thought it must be possible to do something, so I started googling around three names, and went to the tax authority to request staff at these three suspected perpetrators.
He then attached the documents to the police and conducted a review of the decision to close the preliminary investigation.
– Then it will be full speed at the police in Gothenburg, he says, and states that the preliminary investigation is now led in Stockholm, on Gotland and in Malmö.
Took 15 minutes
Weldersson says it took about 15 minutes for him to google the three people suspected of involvement in the case. He understands that the police have a lot to do, and that they are therefore unable to clear up all the cases that come in, he says, urging others who have been involved in fraud to do the same.
– It’s as simple as possible. Anyone can google and get the names, bring it to the tax authority and get a perpetrator profile to submit to the police, he says and continues:
– People who are exposed may not always have a close relative, but there is always someone to turn to.
So you protect yourself against fraud
1. Add the handset. If someone calls you and you will be unsure, end the call.
2. Never log in. Never identify yourself with Bank ID and never disclose codes from your bank box or debit card if someone asks you for it.
3. Do not rely on the calling. Fraudsters can try to stress you by saying that you are about to lose money or that any relatives have suffered badly. Do not trust the person who calls even if it seems credible and has personal information about you.
About telephone fraud and how to register.
Source: Police