– Officers from the Economic Crime Department of the Jelenia Góra Municipal Police Headquarters have completed proceedings and filed an indictment against a 30-year-old resident of Jelenia Góra suspected of a series of frauds – reports junior asp. Przemysław Ratajczyk from the Lower Silesian Provincial Police Headquarters in Wrocław.
As police established, from March to June 2019, the man offered an apartment in Kołobrzeg for rent via the internet. Spokesperson:
He collected money from people interested in the service, but failed to fulfil the agreement because he did not actually own the apartment. In this way, he defrauded at least 107 people from across Poland of a total of approximately PLN 200,000.
The 30-year-old could now face a prison sentence of between six months and as many as eight years.
Police officers:
We advise tourists not to leave matters related to booking accommodation until the last minute. Carefully check the offer, exercise particular caution when booking properties in very attractive locations, and beware of unusually good deals.
What can you do to avoid falling victim to a fraudster?
- It is best to compare the rental price with other offers of a similar standard and in a similar location.
- Try to gather as much information as possible about the property where you want to make a booking.
- Do not rely solely on reviews from satisfied customers available on the property’s website, as they may be falsified.
- Be cautious if the owner’s website contains very little information. Check whether the stated address actually exists. (Properties operating legally should be registered with the city or municipal office and in the Central Register and Information on Business.)
Uniformed officers:
We recommend paying the advance by bank transfer. Any other form of payment proposed by the landlord should arouse our suspicions. Ask for an invoice, bill or receipt for the advance paid, and retain all documentation related to the transaction, as well as all correspondence related to the booking.