A fake military doctor contacted a resident of Jawor County through a dating website. Soon, the new acquaintances began having long conversations, during which the fake American doctor confided in the woman about various problems and plans. Among other things, he wrote that he planned to come to Poland on leave to visit her, but needed money for a doctor from Italy who was supposed to replace him during that time.
The woman from Jawor County, in love and motivated by affection and a desire to help, first transferred PLN 55,000 to the “doctor.” Part of this amount consisted of the 60-year-old’s savings, while the rest came from a loan. Soon, however, it turned out that he had more serious plans concerning her, which also required money. Believing that her future husband needed money to organize their joint ventures, the woman asked her son for help so that he could take out a PLN 40,000 loan. In total, the woman transferred more than PLN 90,000 to the scammer, but even that amount proved insufficient for him. When the woman realized that she had fallen victim to a scam, she decided to report the matter to the police.
How does someone using this type of method operate?
Most often, the perpetrator contacts people through a social media platform or messenger, pretending to be an American soldier, doctor or another person sent on a mission to Iraq, Syria or Afghanistan—in other words, somewhere where there is a war, unrest and danger. The correspondence then takes on an emotional character. For example, the “soldier” professes love, care and serious intentions. After several weeks of such correspondence, when the other person reciprocates the feelings, a request for money appears. The money is supposedly needed for various purposes: to pay customs clearance on a valuable parcel, cover costs related to a shared wedding or pay the command so that the future spouse can leave the mission early. Finally, once the money reaches such a scammer posing as a “soldier” or “doctor,” the relationship ends.
Police appeal for caution when forming relationships online. Let us remember the principle of limited trust. Only vigilance, caution and distance toward the information we receive can prevent us from becoming the next victim of a crime.