Fake police commit 800 criminal acts this year

Fake police have emerged as a serious problem in Finland with about 800 criminal reports concerning people impersonating as police officers and related frauds and attempts at such crimes been filed during the current year, said a police press release on Friday.

Criminals posing as fake police officers exploit Finns’ trust in officialdom. Fake police particularly fish for old people’s bank cards and online banking codes.

Criminal damage caused by fake police comes to over EUR 500,000 and the police with the help of the banks’ security units have succeeded in freezing criminals’ bank accounts worth around the same amount.

The modus operandi involved keeps changing and all kinds of fraud have increased based on exploiting public trust in the police, bank staff and other parties that inspire trust. In addition to phone calls, frauds have sought access to the homes of elderly people to “check” their valuables, cash and weapons.

National Police Commissioner Seppo Kolehmainen said that cooperation between the police and other parties, such as the financial sector and those working with the elderly, has increased in the prevention of fake police officers.

“We would warn elderly people in particular, who are possible targets of fake police, that they must keep information on their assets, bank cards and accounts secret and that the police never ask for such details as part of their work,” said Kolehmainen.

Last year, the police proposed a legislative change toughening the penalties for impersonating an official. For example, this would enable the use of covert coercive measures such as intercepting telephone calls, make such crimes easier to prevent, and improve the prospects of solving them.