For some time now, there has been talk that Poland may face coal shortages in autumn and winter. Scammers, whose creativity knows no bounds, decided to exploit this situation. A resident of Lwówek County found this out the hard way after seeing an advertisement on a social media platform offering eco-pea coal for PLN 1,450 per tonne. – He contacted the person who had posted the advertisement via a messenger service and then called the telephone number provided. During the conversation, the scammer assured him that the ordered eco-pea coal would be delivered by the agreed deadline – reports Staff Sergeant Olga Łukaszewicz, press officer of the District Police Headquarters in Lwówek Śląski.
She adds: – When the defrauded man noticed after several days that the platform had published information about a scammer impersonating the company from which he had ordered the coal, he tried calling the telephone number provided. Contact was initially brief, after which it ceased.
The victim then realised that he had been defrauded and reported the matter to the police. The officers:
We appeal for caution when shopping online and for applying the principle of limited trust. Let us also beware of so-called super bargains and promotions, which may turn out to be another trick used by scammers.