Elderly parents targeted by fake doctors

Police are warning the public to be wary of callers claiming to be doctors, demanding money from elderly citizens to operate on a loved one in critical condition.

The latest alarm came after a con artist tried to swindle €77,000 out of an elderly woman claiming her son had been seriously injured in a car accident.

According to police, the Famagusta Crime Investigation Department is looking into a series of complaints involving fake doctors demanding large amounts of money from people to save the life of a relative.

The latest incident involved an 85-year-old woman living in Paralimni who received a call on Sunday morning from a man claiming to be a doctor.

The fake doctor informed her that one of her two sons was in a critical state while the other was also injured.

“The perpetrator seems to have known the names of the 85-year-old woman’s sons.

The suspect told the mother that €77,000 was needed for the hospital to cover medical expenses.

“The person added that a hospital representative would pass by her home to collect the money,” said the police.

The conversation lasted around 90 minutes, during which time the woman received a visit from a friend, to whom she reported what had happened.

The scammer had called again, but this time the call was picked up by the woman’s friend, who told the man she would not be paying and cut the call.

The police advised the public who receive such calls to inform them immediately, calling it in at local police stations, the district CIDs, or the citizens’ hotline 1460.

Perpetrators presenting themselves as doctors contact citizens by phone and ask them to pay large sums for a relative allegedly injured in an accident who urgently needs surgery.

In most cases, the perpetrators mask their call, asking people to stay on the line to prevent them from contacting their relatives or the police.