We urge caution when dealing with strangers, including over the phone, and not handing money to unknown people, even if they claim to be friends of our loved ones, police officers or officers of the CBA or CBŚP.
On 12 December 2022, the Jelenia Góra police received a report concerning a fraudster posing as an officer. The man misled a 70-year-old woman from Jelenia Góra and thereby extorted money from her. During the conversation, he told her that an operation was being conducted against an organised criminal group that wanted to steal her assets, and that she was obliged to help the police and provide them with funds. The information provided by the fake police officer was confirmed by another man, who claimed to be a prosecutor. In connection with this information, and following the fraudsters' instructions, the woman hung a plastic bag on the fence and put the money inside. In total, the victim lost PLN 1,500.
Remember! Police officers will not contact you by phone about any important matter; they will come to your flat or house instead. They must also identify themselves and show their service ID. In addition, you can confirm the presence of any police officer at your home with the duty officer by calling 112. Remember that police officers never ask people to take out loans as part of assistance with operational activities! No officer may demand or accept money in connection with a case being handled. Nor do they “secure” money kept at home or in a bank account.
Remember! Fraudsters exploit trust in state institutions by posing as their employees or officers. They use various methods to achieve their goal. They not only call older people, but also send SMS messages with links to suspicious websites.
Therefore, in everyday life, let us apply the principle of limited trust towards all people we do not know. This applies both to those who call us and to those who knock on our doors. Let us check carefully whether they really represent the institution whose employees they claim to be. To do this, we can call that institution and describe the entire situation. If someone calls our number, claims to be, for example, a police officer, and asks about money or valuables, we must HANG UP! Only then should we call 112 and report our suspicions.