Almost three hundred investigations relating to fraud in the digital environment were registered in 2023 by the Judiciary Police (PJ) of Leiria, the majority through the “hello mother, hello father” strategy, revealed the director of this criminal investigation department.
According to Avelino Lima, in 2022, inquiries in this field totaled 191, rising to 289 the following year. In January and February 2024, this number was 37.
The majority of investigations in the period 2022-2024 report completed frauds, totaling 467.
The director of the Leiria Criminal Investigation Department of the PJ said that of the 517 investigations into fraud through digital means in that period, 263 refer to so-called “hello mom, hello dad” scams via WhatsApp (47 investigations in 2022, 192 in 2023 and 24 in the first two months of this year).
“The year 2023 has most likely reached the peak of these frauds”, admitted Avelino Lima, considering that, due to “media coverage and actions to alert citizens, it is possible to envisage a decline this year”, but, even so, it is “It’s too early to take such a consequence for granted.”
The director of PJ de Leiria warned that, “at the same time, new ways of acting are in progress that will be the subject of future assessments”.
“Cybercriminals are constantly innovating and creating challenges for law enforcement authorities, as well as citizens, who must always be on alert,” he warned.
Avelino Lima said it was not possible to establish a pattern of victims, justifying that “the recipients and victims of this crime, because it occurs in a digital environment and the perpetrator is unaware of the characteristics of the victims, are random”.
The director added that the advice already issued on this matter “remains valid, regardless of the ‘modus operandi’ used by the perpetrators of crimes in a digital environment”.
“Always be suspicious of requests for payment for services” or “never make any payments and/or send money without first being duly certified by the recipient through a means other than the request” are among the recommendations that Avelino Lima listed.
Citizens are also asked not to believe “in ‘miraculous’ gains offered through digital platforms and social networks” and, “whenever in business/acquisitions the IBAN for payment is changed by the creditor, ‘service provider’, be suspicious and Confirm”.
This PJ official stressed that people have to have a defensive, and even suspicious, attitude when they are contacted by unknown telephone numbers.
As for the investigation that led to the arrest, in October 2022, of a 25-year-old young man, resident in Leiria, suspected of being the author of “hello mom, hello dad” scams, Avelino Lima said that it is nearing completion.
“There is a defendant suspected of three crimes of qualified fraud, two of which are attempted”, explained Avelino Lima, noting that he is suspected of “two more qualified frauds”, investigations that are taking place in the Coimbra Directorate and another in Aveiro Criminal Investigation Department.
In the Leiria investigation, “288 thousand euros were seized resulting from the fraud of which that defendant is suspected”, he added.
Another case, relating to the arrest, in November 2023, of a 41-year-old man suspected of the same type of fraud, and from whom thousands of mobile phone SIM cards were seized, remains under investigation.
“The defendant, in preventive detention, is suspected of at least 20 frauds. It is assumed that other fraud crimes will still be investigated using the same ‘modus operandi’, a false family member”, explained Avelino Lima, noting that “the investigation has 18 investigations attached, totaling the approximate value of the frauds identified to the amount of 30 thousand euros”.
The PJ’s Leiria Department’s area of intervention is 10 municipalities in the district of Leiria and 14 in Santarém.
________________
________________________
