Interior Ministry to Boost Efforts to Prevent Scams Targeting Seniors

Bratislava, 7 July (TASR) - The Interior Ministry plans to strengthen efforts to prevent scams targeting seniors, online crime and fraudulent job offers, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) told a press conference on Tuesday, warning of a growing number of scams targeting older people. "My role as interior minister is to do my best to lay the groundwork for protecting the citizens of the Slovak Republic, so that they will be protected even before becoming victims of fraud," he said, stressing that the ministry's aim is to build a safe and resilient Slovakia. "While fraudsters cheated 125 seniors out of around €1.5 million in 2024, they targeted 215 seniors last year, causing losses of €2.7 million. In the first half of 2026, police recorded 46 completed scams targeting seniors, with the total damage coming in at €912,000. According to Sutaj Estok, scammers continue to use well-known stories about a grandson in need or an accident involving a loved one. They often pose as police officers or bank employees. He added that the number of crimes committed against people over 60 years of age has increased by 40 percent year-on-year (y-o-y), with the damages rising by up to 80 percent y-o-y. Sutaj Estok said that his ministry plans to continue applying preventive measures, with the police having already organised more than 700 prevention-oriented events in the first quarter of 2026, addressing more than 14,000 seniors and other people. Police Corps President Jana Maskarova warned that security risks are shifting ever more into the online space, explaining that perpetrators in the digital space are "fast and organised, using various technologies, artificial intelligence, social networks and communication apps". Head of the Interior Ministry's crime prevention office Jozef Halcin said that the ministry is expanding its network of information offices for victims of crime, with another eight contact points set up this year to provide psychological, social and legal assistance, while at the same time organising preventive activities in the regions. In September, the Interior Ministry is also due to launch a new preventive campaign aimed at protecting older people from fraud, seeking to involve local governments, the banking sector and other partners. jrg/df