48 fake cops, scammers identified since police's public shaming campaign
The police have identified 48 of the 100 suspects in fake cop scams and helpdesk fraud who formed part of the Game Over campaign. The police first released blurred photos of the suspects, giving them time to turn themselves in. On Monday, the police released recognizable photos.
The police have taken the photos of the identified suspects offline. By the time the police released the recognizable photos on Monday, 21 of the suspects had already been identified. By Tuesday, that number had risen to 48.
It is the first time that the police have launched such a name-and-shame campaign for suspected fake cops and other scammers. According to the police, distributing suspects’ photos is necessary because the number of these scams is increasing exponentially. Last year, the police recorded over 13,000 cases involving people posing as police officers to convince mostly elderly victims to hand over their valuables.
“With so many victims throughout the country, this phenomenon affects us all,” Police Chief Janny Knol said. “Everyone knows someone who has become a victim. That also explains the massive interest in this search operation.” At certain points, the campaign’s website had up to 5,000 visitors at once. She thanked everyone who provided information to identify the suspects.
A police spokesperson told NOS that identification does not automatically mean that these 48 suspects have been arrested. The police did not report how many, if any, arrests have been made.
