Fake police officers arrested who targeted Zeeland care center
The police arrested three fake police officers in Zeeland on Friday who wanted to scam people in a residential care center in Zaamslag. The suspects are a boy from Middelburg and a man and a woman from Vlissingen.
Gisteren hielden we drie nepagenten op heterdaad aan! Dankzij een alerte verzorgende waren we snel ter plaatsen in #Zaamslag om een van de nepagenten in de woning van een cliënt aan te houden. De andere 2 verdachten zijn later aangehouden. https://t.co/vAvziMrlbQ pic.twitter.com/XtscHqrBhK
— Politie Zeeland (@POL_Zeeland) October 12, 2024
On Friday around 3 p.m., the control center received a report of possible fake agents. A caregiver reported that one of the nursing home residents had been called by “police officers” who could come by at any moment. When the real police arrived, they found the fake police officer, an 18-year-old boy from Middelburg, at the nursing home.
He then tried to flee in the direction of a car. The driver quickly drove away but thanks to the quick intervention of police colleagues, the vehicle was found on the Engelandweg in Ritthem.
In the car were a man and a woman (both 24 years old) from Vlissingen. All three were arrested and taken to the police station.
The police report that during the conversation with the control room in this incident, a code word was agreed upon between the real police officers and the people involved. In this way, the resident and the caregiver knew who the real officers were. The police also emphasize that officers never visit someone to ask for personal items, debit cards, or pin codes.