– A man reported to the Criminal Division of the Municipal Police Headquarters in Jelenia Góra, informing officers that he had lost approximately PLN 150,000 as a result of fraud – reports Sub-Inspector Edyta Bagrowska, press officer of the Municipal Police Headquarters in Jelenia Góra.
The man received an email containing a link informing him about the possibility of investing in cryptocurrency and making large profits this way. The spokesperson said: – The victim filled out a contact form, after which a woman claiming to be an investment broker contacted him. The woman, speaking with an Eastern European accent, explained what their business involved, how to invest money and how to get rich quickly.
The fraudster instructed the senior citizen where to log in and which program to install on his computer. The program enabled the scammers to estimate how wealthy their victim was. The man, tempted by easy and rapid profits, was encouraged to make further transfers. The result? The 73-year-old lost approximately PLN 150,000.
Sub-Inspector E. Bagrowska:
When the profits reached a satisfactory threshold, the Jelenia Góra resident decided to withdraw his money. It turned out that there were no profits, and that he had fallen victim to scammers.
The officers:
We appeal for common sense and caution, and urge people not to click links that encourage investments and promise large profits in a short time. These companies advertise their services through advertisements on social media, websites and mobile applications. The Polish Bank Association recommends checking the alert list of the Polish Financial Supervision Authority, where information about dishonest entities is published.
Let us recall that fraud may be punishable by between six months and as much as eight years in prison.