A couple from Bassa exchanged messages with a scammer, believing it was their son who was in difficulty (he was abroad) but found their current account “diluted” by a few thousand euros.
The Colorno police received the couple’s complaint in recent months and have now reported a 40-year-old foreigner for aggravated fraud.
The couple from Parma fell for a “broken phone scam”. The method used is classic: the alleged scammer first sent a text message to the victim, pretending to be his son, saying that he had broken his cell phone and that he urgently needed money to buy a new one and cover other expenses. Then, WhatsApp messages were exchanged, in which the stranger again pretended to be the couple’s son, first deceiving the father, convincing him to pay via QR code for 950 euros, and then the mother for the same amount.
When the two realized the money was going to end up with a stranger, they contacted their son, who was unaware of the whole thing. The investigation led police to report a 40-year-old foreigner.
The police renew their appeal not to respond to messages of this type: “Hello Dad, I broke my phone”, “Hello Mom, I lost my phone” or “Send me a message to another number”. It is advisable to try to contact your loved one via known phone numbers, to check how they are doing. In case of doubt, it is better to opt for voice communication, in any case without providing personal data or access credentials to your virtual accounts, the police add their advice. In case of doubt or any request for information if you suspect fraud, you can always call 112.
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