Such an incident recently occurred in Głogów County. A woman who thought she had been talking online for a long time with a US Army soldier returning from a mission in Afghanistan paid PLN 86,000 into an account provided by the “soldier.”
How do the criminals operate?
- The criminals establish relationships with female users of social media platforms.
- They correspond with them and become friends, then, under the pretext of wanting to come to Poland and enter into a closer relationship, they say that they are sending them a package containing personal belongings, military documents and a large amount of cash.
- The sinister plan and the relationship they have established are intended to lead to a situation in which the victim will want to provide financial support to her correspondent and help him reach the country.
“The methods may vary, but the fraudsters are linked by the theme of a package that has ‘got stuck’ somewhere in a warehouse. To receive it, appropriate fees must be paid,” explains junior aspirant Beata Sosulska-Baran of the Jelenia Góra police. “The emails also mention other problems and misfortunes of the ‘soldier,’ who, for example, needs money for airport fees, insurance or a residence permit.”
Of course, all these fees are fictitious. The perpetrators use a translation program, which allows them to contact women of many nationalities. Incorrect translations in the messages may also be a sign that we are dealing with fraud.
Police warn:
Let us remember that criminals constantly modify their methods of operation, and therefore, whenever someone tries to obtain money from us, we must exercise great caution.
We remind you that attempts to extort money should be reported to the police immediately by calling the emergency number 112. Let us remember that only our caution, vigilance and critical distance toward the information provided will prevent us from becoming another victim of fraud!