Portugal police warn of new fake traffic‑accident scam targeting elderly drivers

Portugal’s Public Security Police (PSP) have issued a warning about a new variant of the long‑running fake traffic‑accident scam. In the past month more than 50 reports were logged, mainly from the Greater Lisbon area, with victims losing over €200,000. The fraudsters deliberately stage a minor bump between two cars, then accuse the driver – typically aged 70 to 90 and alone – of causing the incident. They pressure the victim to pay a small amount on the spot using a portable card‑reading device or a phone rigged for contact‑less payments. While the driver enters their PIN, an accomplice quickly swaps the genuine bank card for a look‑alike, later using the authentic card to withdraw large sums before the victim can block it.

Police advise drivers never to hand over their bank cards, to stay calm, and to report any such incident immediately, providing details of the suspects, vehicle model and licence plate. Preliminary data also show a 24 % decline in reported fake‑accident scams during the first six months of the current year, suggesting the warning may be having an effect.