Yesterday, the Judicial Police arrested a 29 year old foreign citizen, suspected of several crimes of qualified fraud, computer forgery and money laundering, which affected 11 people for a total of around €11,000.
In a statement, the PJ said that it worked together with the Oeiras Investigation and Criminal Prosecution Department, starting in mid-March 2024, “following a criminal complaint related to a computer fraud/forgery, associated with the 'modus operandi' known as 'hello dad/hello mom'”.
The “Hello Dad/Hello Mom” scam involves victims being messaged via the social network WhatsApp, with a message convincing them that their children have lost their phone and are therefore using a temporary mobile number. Once contact has been established, the perpetrators of the crimes ask for payment.
Last year, the PSP registered 4,389 complaints about this scam.
Investigations by the National Unit to Combat Cybercrime and Technological Crime (UNC3T) led to house searches and the seizure of computer and communications equipment, resulting in the man being arrested.
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