Instead of PLN 40,000, he put tissues in a plastic bag and covered them with banknotes of low denominations. He tied a string to the bag, which he held in his hand, and waited for someone on the other side of the door to come to pick up the package. When this happened, he tugged on the string. This is how an 88-year-old from Białystok outsmarted fraudsters who pretended to be policemen.
It started with an 88-year-old resident of Białystok receiving a phone call from a person who claimed to be a police officer investigating a group that was defrauding seniors.
To help catch the criminals, the man was to prepare savings accumulated at home and leave them in a bag on the doormat.
He placed a plastic bag in front of the door and tied a string to it (illustrative photo) Salivanchuk Semyon/Shutterstock
Pretending to count the money, he packed tissues in the bag
“The senior immediately realized that he was talking to a fraudster, but he still continued the conversation. He said that he had PLN 40,000 at home and, pretending to count the money, packed tissues in a bag,” we read in a message on the website of the Białystok City Police Headquarters.
The senior covered the handkerchiefs with low-denomination banknotes and placed them on the doormat. He attached a string to the bag and tied it around his hand. He then closed the door and waited for the person who would collect the cash.
He grabbed the bag out of the “policeman's” hands
“While still on the line with the fraudster, he felt a tug. The 88-year-old started pulling the string into the apartment, and the receiver pulled him in the other direction,” the police say.
After a while, the senior opened the door and grabbed the bag out of the “policeman's” hands. He ran away immediately. The senior didn't lose any money. Then he went to the police and told everything.
Main photo source: Salivanchuk Semyon/Shutterstock