According to a report by Monaco-Matin, a sophisticated phone scam targeting Monaco’s elderly residents led to losses of around 500,000 euros in late 2023. Fraudsters posed as legal representatives, claiming that a relative of the victim had injured a pregnant woman and needed money or valuables to avoid prosecution. The criminals operated efficiently, sending a courier to collect the goods within minutes.
In early December 2023, the scam intensified, with 1,448 attempted calls made using ten German phone numbers. Of these, 596 reached Monegasque landlines, prompting the government to issue a public warning. The alert proved effective when, on December 13, a vigilant resident contacted police, leading to the arrest of a suspect in La Condamine as she attempted to collect a bag of jewellery.
On Monday, March 24, a 59-year-old Polish woman appeared before Monaco’s criminal court, facing charges of attempted fraud and criminal association. Having spent 15 months in pre-trial detention, she denied involvement in the scam network, claiming she was in Monaco to collect medication for 500 euros on behalf of a stranger. Investigators, however, linked her to the scheme through phone records and circumstantial evidence.
Despite contradictions in her statements, the broader fraud network remains unidentified. The suspect, reportedly wanted in Germany for theft and burglary under different aliases, refused to name any accomplices.
Prosecutors sought a four-year prison sentence and a 50,000 euro fine, arguing that the woman played a trusted role in the scam. Her defence insisted she was merely a minor player with no proven link to the larger fraud operation. The court ultimately sentenced her to three years in prison and a 20,000 euro fine but did not connect her to earlier scams due to insufficient evidence.
