Fake doctor scared pensioners with urgent surgery, held in Vranje
The Vranje police department arrested a suspect who posed as a doctor and pressured older residents into handing over money by claiming a relative needed urgent surgery.
- The Vranje police department arrested a suspect for fraud and attempted fraud, the Interior Ministry announced on July 27.
- The suspect posed as a doctor and called older residents about the alleged urgent surgery of a relative.
- He asked victims for money under the pretext of covering surgery costs, and police received several reports.
- The targets were pensioners, who were told a false story about an injured relative.
The Vranje police department has arrested a suspect for fraud and attempted fraud against older residents. The Interior Ministry announced the arrest on July 27, saying the suspect falsely presented himself as a doctor and pulled money from his targets.
According to the Interior Ministry statement, the suspect contacted older residents by phone. He introduced himself as a doctor and claimed that the person’s relative had just been operated on or injured. During the call he built pressure and asked the listener to gather money at once, supposedly to cover the cost of the surgery.
This is a fraud pattern that targets people in a moment of fear for their loved ones. According to unofficial information, the suspect counted on the victim having no time to verify the news and reacting immediately by handing over cash. Police received several reports, which helped connect the suspect’s identity and movements.
The suspect’s guilt has not been established by a final ruling. The competent prosecutor’s office will lead the proceedings, and the suspect is charged with fraud and attempted fraud until the court rules.
How did the scam work?
The scheme is simple, and that is exactly why it is dangerous. A call comes from an unknown number, the voice on the other end is calm and authoritative, and the message is always the same: a relative is in hospital and money is needed, right now. Mentioning surgery and medical authority is meant to throw the listener into panic.
In that moment an older person rarely seeks a second confirmation. According to the reports, the suspect insisted on urgency and asked that the money be handed over without delay, often through an intermediary or at an agreed spot. Speed and emotion are the scammer’s tools, because they switch off the usual caution.
Police remind the public that no medical facility charges for an emergency intervention over the phone or asks for cash through unknown people. The check is simple: end the call and dial the relative or the institution on a known number.
Why are pensioners a frequent target?
Older people are exposed because scammers count on trust, loneliness and fear for children and grandchildren. A phone scam requires no physical contact, is hard to trace and easy to repeat across many numbers. That is why a single suspect can make several attempts in a short time.
The Vranje case shows that reporting works. Several reported attempts helped tie the suspect to a string of calls and make the arrest. Authorities are urging residents to inform the police and family members about suspicious calls, so the chain is broken before anyone loses money.
Have you or someone in your family received a similar call, and how did you react?
