Police officers: “Despite numerous appeals and announcements informing people about crimes committed against seniors, fraudsters do not stop their efforts to gain benefits and enrich themselves dishonestly. Their victims include not only people living alone, but also those who naively trust others and are therefore easily manipulated.”

A Legnica resident learned how criminals operate last weekend. She was certain that by providing her bank account number, login and password, she would protect herself against the theft of her savings.

“A man posing as a police officer informed the woman by telephone that she had fallen victim to an organized criminal group that was trying to take out a large loan in her name. The fraudster claimed that, as a CBA police officer, he was trying to prevent this and therefore expected her urgent and full cooperation,” reports asp. szt. Monika Kaleta of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Wrocław. “Although the victim wanted to verify the caller’s details, she did not end the call and instead dialed the emergency number. The man on the other end confirmed that they really needed to change the login details for her bank account. Convinced that cooperating was the right thing to do, the woman provided her account number, login and access password. She dictated the confirmation code for the transfer that she received on her mobile phone, hoping that she would help the police officers.”

The result? She realized she had been defrauded only when a bank employee informed her that a transfer had been ordered to a destination outside the country. She lost PLN 40,000 in this way.

Police:

We appeal not only to older people, but to all residents of Lower Silesia, not to believe stories told over the phone. Even the most credible ones should be checked every time by ending the call. Let us inform our parents and grandparents about potential dangers.

And adds:

Let us remember that police officers never ask for money and do not provide information about planned operations. Let us teach seniors to be more cautious when making decisions about transferring money. Their entire life savings are often at stake.