On 13 December, an 81-year-old resident of Legnica received a call on his landline from a man who introduced himself as an employee of a bank branch and asked whether the senior had an account at that bank. The senior confirmed. A moment later, another man called the 81-year-old. He claimed to be a CBŚP police officer and said he was calling about a secret operation to combat cybercrime involving bank accounts. He asked whether the senior would help the police catch the criminals.
The fake police officer first instructed the senior to deposit PLN 22,000 into the provided account in two instalments. The first was to be PLN 14,000 and the second PLN 8,000.
The older man made the transfer using his smartphone. Fortunately, the device soon ran out of battery. The man returned home to charge it. Excited, he told the other household members that he was taking part in a secret police operation. The senior’s daughter realised that her father had fallen victim to fraudsters and notified the police.
“We remind you once again that the police never collect, demand or call about money. Let us not be deceived by stories invented by fraudsters about alleged secret police operations,” Legnica officers emphasise. “When receiving calls demanding money from ‘police officers’, ‘sons’, ‘daughters’ or ‘grandchildren’, it is essential to contact the local police and the actual family member before handing over one’s savings to anyone. Fraudsters exploit seniors’ gullibility.
Update
Fortunately, the senior and his daughter managed to block the transfer. The criminals will not receive a penny!