Police show faces of 79 suspected fake cops, help desk scammers

Starting Monday, the police will publish recognizable images of 79 suspects of scams and fraud. This is being done as part of an operation against fake police officers and bank helpdesk fraud, titled Game Over.

Two weeks ago, the police published blurred photos of 100 suspects, warning that if they don’t come forward, the police will publicly shame them. In 21 cases, investigators have now identified the suspect.

“That is good news,” said Ernst Pols, the public prosecutor in charge of investigative reporting. “These are serious cases, and we want to know who is behind these crimes.”

The police will now show the unblurred photos of the remaining suspects on their website, social media, digital screens, and television. Most of these images originate from doorbell and security cameras.

Last year, the Fraud Helpdesk received 100,000 reports of fraud and calculated the damage at €69 million. The number of incidents involving a fake police officer rose from just over 8,000 in 2024 to 13,000 last year. According to the police, the victims are often elderly people.

With this campaign, the police hope to discourage young people from allowing themselves to be used for this type of scam, often for a small reward.