- Do not be easily persuaded by people who “approach” you as acquaintances of relatives or friends.
- Be especially wary of strangers who try, under various pretexts and tricks, to enter your home.
- In that case, keep an eye on your personal belongings, to avoid the possibility of their being stolen through the method of distraction.
- Be especially wary when strangers try to persuade you to hand over a sum of money on the pretext of an urgent need of a relative or friend (e.g. hospital treatment). They may also try the same by telephone. For the same reasons, do not give in to invitations to meet (an appointment, etc.).
- Where strangers claim that a known relative of yours is in an emergency, always insist on contacting that relative or friend yourself by telephone to confirm what they claim. Make the call from your own telephone, on your own initiative, and do not agree to speak to a person whom the strangers have called.
- In every case, state that you will not hand over any money unless your known relatives or friends appear in person.
- Never agree to let strangers take you to a bank branch or ATM to withdraw money.
- Do not be easily persuaded into opportunistic purchases of products offered to you by strangers, particularly without first seeing those products.
- Do not be persuaded by strangers who present themselves as employees of a Public Service or other body in order to repair some technical problem, unless you have called them yourself beforehand.
- Do not be persuaded when strangers ask you to pay money for debts of acquaintances or relatives to public services or to shops and companies for the purchase of goods or provision of services.
Please note that hospitals and public services do not follow the practice of sending their employees to homes or public places to ask citizens to pay money for the services they provide. - Always keep to hand the telephone numbers you should call in case of need (Police, Fire Brigade, Hospitals, close relatives, etc.).
- Try to remember the characteristics of the perpetrators, as well as the vehicles they use (registration number, make of vehicle, colour, etc.), to assist the work of the law enforcement authorities.
- Always inform the police authorities, even in the case of an attempted fraud against you.
