October 16, 5:05 p.m., Fraud, Halland County

For example, we are investigating several attempted frauds in a geographically limited area of Kungsbacka, and in Lysekil a victim has been robbed of jewellery and contacts worth a large amount. 

However, the scams are taking place across the entire region. 

It often starts with a text message that appears to come from a construction company, an alarm company or similar. The message may say that a door or an alarm needs to be replaced. You may be told that you do not need to be at home because the company already has the keys. 

Of course, you want to know why someone claims to have keys to your home, and you also do not want work to be carried out that you have not ordered.

When you reply to the text message or call the number, you get through to someone claiming to represent the company. The person says that something has gone wrong and that the police need to be involved to sort out the situation.

After that, someone claiming to be a police officer contacts you. You are told that there is a risk of crime and that the police can help secure your valuables until the danger has passed.

A little while later, someone turns up to collect the valuables.

But the person is not a police officer. They are a fraudster.

How to avoid being scammed
- Pause before you act. Hang up, end the contact.
- Check the information by looking up the company’s or the police’s official contact details yourself. Do not use the number in the message.
- If someone claims to be a police officer and wants to collect your valuables: Do not hand anything over.
- Report the crime to the police.

Please help spread the information. By recognising the scam, more people can avoid being deceived. Talk about it with someone close to you – sometimes that knowledge can make all the difference.