Fraud targeting seniors in Prague: gold bars worth 4.8 million crowns handed to courier
An unknown perpetrator deceived a married couple aged 88 and 89 by telephone and forced them to hand over gold bars weighing 2.9 kg. Prague police are searching for the stolen bars and are appealing for public assistance.
Prague fraudster deprives senior couple of investment gold worth nearly 5 million
Prague police are searching for gold bars worth approximately 4.8 million crowns, which an unknown perpetrator obtained from a married couple aged 88 and 89. According to Czech news, the case took place on Wednesday, 2 September, and police are investigating it on suspicion of committing the criminal offence of fraud, which carries a sentence of up to ten years' imprisonment.
The perpetrator called the victims and posed as their nephew. He claimed that his son had caused a serious traffic accident in which he had killed a motorcyclist and that he now faced imprisonment. The perpetrator asked the seniors for financial assistance — specifically to pay a high bail — with the promise that he would return the money the next day.
After the couple stated that they did not have such cash on hand but owned investment gold, the perpetrator convinced them that this would suffice to pay the bail. Following the caller's instructions, the senior placed gold bars with a total weight of 2.9 kilograms into a grey shopping bag, went out in front of the house, and handed them to a man who identified himself as a courier.
Investigators discovered that the stolen bars were subsequently cut into smaller pieces — pieces approximately 30 centimetres long and around 0.5 centimetres wide.
"In connection with this case, we are therefore asking for cooperation from gold dealers, jewellers, pawn shop operators, precious metals buyers, and the general public," Prague police said. Anyone who encounters an offer to sell or buy such modified gold bars or their parts should immediately call 158.
Police are also appealing to drivers who travelled along Sudoměřská Street in Prague 3 on Wednesday, 2 September around 20:00 and have a dashboard camera to report it.
Police are also urging seniors and their family members to be cautious about similar telephone calls. According to police, perpetrators deliberately exploit people's concerns about their loved ones and demand money, jewellery, or other valuables under various pretexts. Any such information should always be verified directly with the relative in question or police should be contacted immediately.
Source: České noviny