Scammers trick elderly man out of €10,000 in Vilnius district

Scammers posing as medical staff and police officers defrauded an elderly man of around €10,000 in Vilnius district, Lithuanian police reported Wednesday, as similar cases emerge across the country.

According to the Police Department, the 88-year-old victim received a call at his home around 9 AM on Tuesday from unknown individuals speaking Russian. The callers claimed to be employees of a clinic and police officers, convincing the man to hand over the cash to an accomplice who arrived in person. Authorities have launched a pre-trial investigation into the fraud.

The scams are not isolated to Vilnius. Police in Utena and Klaipėda districts have opened three additional pre-trial investigations after residents reported losing thousands of euros to fraudsters.

In Utena, a 46-year-old man transferred €6,320 to a woman’s bank account on Monday after being deceived. In Klaipėda, two women—aged 56 and 55—lost €2,170 and €900, respectively, after clicking fraudulent links and entering their banking details on Tuesday. Both transactions occurred around 7:26 PM.