Fake crash call: man scams woman, 75, in Leskovac
A 30-year-old North Macedonian citizen is suspected of taking about 2,650 euros, 120,000 dinars and gold jewelry from an elderly woman in Leskovac by lying that her daughter had been in a car accident. Police caught him near her home and returned everything.
- Police in Leskovac arrested a man (30) suspected of defrauding an elderly woman (75).
- He allegedly took about 2,650 euros, 120,000 dinars and gold jewelry by lying about her daughter's accident.
- All the money and jewelry were returned to the victim, and the suspect was detained for up to 48 hours.
- The Interior Ministry urges citizens to verify any such call and dial 192 at once.
Officers of the Leskovac Police Department have arrested a man suspected of defrauding a 75-year-old resident. The suspect, identified by the initials S. G. (born 1995), is a citizen of North Macedonia. Police accuse him of fraud, and all the money and jewelry taken from the woman were returned to her.
According to police, the suspect approached the woman on July 23 and posed as someone bringing grave news. He told her that her daughter had been in a car accident and that money was urgently needed for surgery. Frightened for her child, the woman handed over what she had at home.
How the scam unfolded
The woman is believed to have lost about 2,650 euros, 120,000 dinars and gold jewelry. The suspect counted on a moment of panic, on an elderly person, fearful for a loved one, having no time to check the story. That pattern has been repeated for years and, as a rule, targets the oldest residents.
This time the plan did not hold. Acting quickly, police found the suspect near the woman’s home and recovered everything taken from her. The cash and gold were returned to her the same day. On the orders of the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Leskovac, the suspect was detained for up to 48 hours, with a criminal complaint to follow.
Guilt has not been established by a final court ruling. The suspect is charged with fraud, and the prosecution will decide on the further course of the case. Until any verdict, this remains an allegation from the investigation, not an established set of facts.
What makes the case notable is not only the sum, but the speed of the response. In scams of this type the money usually vanishes within a few hours, so returning the full amount to the victim is the exception rather than the rule.
How can you spot a fake call about a relative’s accident?
The template is almost always the same. A stranger reports that a family member has been hurt, arrested or in some other trouble, then asks for money to be handed over at once, in cash, through a courier who comes to the home address. The goal is to keep the victim from stopping to think.
Police advise a few simple steps. End the call and phone the person said to be in trouble yourself, or someone close to them. Do not hand cash or jewelry to unknown people. Do not open the door to anyone demanding an urgent payment under pressure. Report any such call to police on 192.
The Interior Ministry makes a special appeal to older citizens and their families to talk about this kind of fraud in advance. A short conversation within the family, about what a genuine call looks like and what a fake one looks like, is often enough to make the scam fail.
Have you or someone close to you received a call like this, and how did you respond?
