Ostrava police arrest group for targeting seniors with fake assistance

Police in the Moravian-Silesian Region have dismantled a group that targeted elderly citizens through deceptive assistance. A 43-year-old woman from Ostrava allegedly gained the trust of seniors by offering to help with heavy shopping bags or escorting them home.

Working with two male accomplices, aged 42 and 59, the group would distract victims to search their homes or steal personal items such as wallets, identification, credit cards, mobile phones, and cameras. In some instances, the suspects were even invited into the victims' residences.

The investigation, which involved cross-regional cooperation and camera footage analysis, has linked the group to approximately twenty thefts, with total damages estimated at 150,000 CZK. The woman and one of the men are currently in custody, while the third suspect remains at large. The suspects face several years in prison.