Woman Almost Duped by Fake Bank Officials, but Police Catch Courier Red-Handed

In mid-September, a woman in the Czech Republic received a call from someone posing as a bank employee, who told her that someone had allegedly tried to take out a credit card in her name, meaning her banking identification may have been compromised. Believing the threat was real, the woman came close to transferring all her savings to the fraudsters, but police in Kroměříž ultimately arrested the courier at the very moment the money was being handed over.

According to police, the communication then continued by email: the woman received several documents, including what was presented as proof of identity for the bank employee. The forgeries looked extremely convincing. She was also given the contact details of a supposed security officer from the Czech National Bank, who provided the details of a "safe account" to which she was to transfer all her money.

"During the transfer, various complications began to arise, which increasingly convinced the woman that she was dealing with fraudsters. So she went to the police. From that point on, the initiative was taken over by law enforcement," said police spokesman Radomír Šiška.

Following instructions from investigators, the woman then continued corresponding with the fake bankers and eventually agreed to hand over the money in cash in the center of Kroměříž. The courier who arrived to collect the money was arrested immediately after the handover.

The police spokesman added that the 31-year-old foreign national, who is now in custody, faces up to eight years in prison for attempted fraud.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz