Police suspect 80-year-old Amsterdam woman was killed by fake police officers in August
The 80-year-old woman found dead in her Amsterdam Nieuw-West apartment in mid-August was likely murdered after being deceived by criminals posing as police officers, police said.
Police now believe the woman was contacted by two men pretending to be officers. She reportedly received a call from one of them, warning her about burglars in the area and saying that someone would visit her home to check the locks. Shortly afterward, one man arrived at her door, allegedly convincing her to let him in under that pretense.
Detectives suspect the woman realized she was being tricked, leading to a violent confrontation that resulted in her death. She was found dead in her home after failing to show up for an appointment.
A week after her death, police arrested three suspects — two men, aged 20 and 23, both from Amsterdam, and a 19-year-old woman from Zaandam. The men remain in custody, while the woman has since been released and is no longer considered a suspect.
“Although it is extremely rare for a situation involving fake police officers to escalate this far, we felt a strong need to involve the community and especially explain how to identify such impersonators,” said the police team chief of Amsterdam Nieuw West-Noord.
Earlier Friday, Amsterdam police held another neighborhood briefing in response to the woman’s death — this time focused on prevention, as babbeltruc incidents, scams in which criminals trick elderly people into letting them into their homes, have surged across the Netherlands.
Last year, authorities recorded 8,329 cases of scammers posing as officials or service workers to deceive mainly elderly victims. In just the first six months of this year, 6,496 incidents were reported — an average of about 35 per day. Police warn that the real number is likely much higher because many victims are too ashamed to come forward.
“These scams often begin with a phone call,” Amsterdam police spokesperson Marijke Stor told NOS. “As soon as the caller starts talking about jewelry or lists of burglars, all alarm bells should ring. And if someone shows up in a police uniform, look closely — does the equipment look complete? Do they have a radio?”
Stor emphasized that residents have the right to ask for identification. “You can always ask to see a police ID, and on our website you can check what an authentic police ID looks like,” she said. “And yes, even those can be forged,” she added, “but by paying attention to all these details, we hope people can recognize when they’re being deceived. If someone is already inside your home, try to call 112 through the app — it allows you to ask for help without making a call, which is less noticeable.”
In Rotterdam, 85-year-old Sophia — who asked to be identified only by her first name — was also targeted this year by a similar scam. She lives in a downtown apartment complex and is active in her homeowners’ association.
“I was called by a man who told me criminals with axes were roaming the neighborhood robbing people,” she told NOS. The caller claimed someone would come by to “register” her valuables and bank cards for safety reasons.
“The man kept me on the phone the whole time. He said I would get my belongings back afterward,” Sophia recalled. “Then a young man came to my door. I handed over my jewelry and cards. The moment he left, I realized I had been scammed — as if I had just snapped out of a vacuum.” Sophia immediately contacted her bank to block her cards. Although the stolen money was recovered, her jewelry — worth about 65,000 euros — was gone.
