Cases involving criminals posing as police officers continuing to rise in 2025

The number of incidents involving elderly people being tricked by criminals pretending to be police officers is continuing to rise. In the first half of 2025, there were 6,496 incidents involving fake police officers, compared to 8,329 in all of 2024. Police have reported that there are around 35 incidents involving fake police officers every day. The police are set to launch a national campaign against this type of crime.

In this type of scam, criminals posing as police officers often call or write to their victims in advance to announce their arrival. They then report that there have been burglaries, sometimes with weapons, in the nearby area and warn the elderly people that they are also at risk of becoming the victims of a burglary.

To supposedly "protect" them, they offer to "secure" valuable belongings. They then come to collect them later, disguised as police officers.

“The police will never come by to collect valuables like jewelry, cash, or bank cards with PIN codes,” said Sybren van der Velden Walda, coordinator for Seniors and Safety at the police. “Many victims don’t report it out of shame, so the actual number of victims is much higher. This type of fraud has a serious financial and emotional impact on victims and also undermines trust in the police.”

Together with broadcaster Omroep MAX, the police are launching an awareness campaign to combat this type of scam. The slogan is: “Is it a fake officer, or is it okay? Check by calling 112!” The idea is that if older people quickly call 112 when they suspect someone is posing as a police officer, perpetrators can be caught in the act more often.

The campaign is deliberately being launched at the beginning of the summer holiday. “That’s when family members are often away and unable to help or advise them if a fake officer shows up, or already has,” said Van der Velden Walda.