People still fall for callers claiming that their money in a bank account is at risk, or that someone close to them has caused an accident involving a pregnant woman and that money is urgently needed to avoid criminal liability. In just the past 24 hours, five people in Lower Silesia were scammed. Others realized in time that an attempted scam was underway and did not fall for it. Police continue to appeal for caution and good judgment!
In Lower Silesia, five scams using the popular “bank employee” and “police officer” methods occurred within just one day. Residents of Wrocław, Lubin, Zgorzelec and Lwówek County learned that it is not worth trusting everyone who claims over the phone to be, for example, a financial adviser or bank employee.
An 89-year-old resident of Wrocław reported that an unknown man called his landline, claiming to be a police officer and telling him that photocopies of his savings had to be made in order to protect them. The man put PLN 39,000 into an envelope and then handed it over to an unknown man at his home.
A 77-year-old woman from Wrocław reported that a man claiming to be a bank employee called her and said that the funds in her account were at risk. To prevent this, she was instructed to transfer her savings—PLN 94,000—to another account, which she did. Moments later, she realized that she had been scammed.
A 44-year-old resident of Lwówek County reported that, during telephone conversations with a man and a woman calling from different numbers and claiming to be employees of the bank where she held personal accounts, they induced her to dispose of her property to her detriment, involving more than PLN 57,000. Pretending that an attempt was being made to break into her bank account, the callers instructed her to withdraw the funds at a bank branch and then deposit the entire amount through a cash deposit machine using codes dictated by the callers. After the money was deposited, contact with them ceased. In addition, after a telephone conversation with a man claiming to be a prosecutor, her vigilance was lulled and she became convinced that the alleged attempt to break into her account had actually taken place.
A 38-year-old resident of Lubin reported that an unknown woman, together with other people, induced her to dispose of her property to her detriment, involving a total of more than PLN 48,000. The woman called her landline, claiming to be a police officer, and said that her daughter had caused a traffic accident in which she had hit a pregnant woman. As a result, the woman was in hospital, and her daughter faced imprisonment. Another woman joined the conversation, claiming to be her daughter and saying that she was in hospital, where she would be confronted with the injured party from the accident. She said she needed PLN 140,000. The victim told the person claiming to be a police officer how much cash she had, after which she was informed that a lawyer representing her daughter would come to her apartment and that the money, packed in a shopping bag, should be handed to the lawyer. About two minutes later, a man claiming to be a lawyer arrived at her home, and the victim handed him the bag of money at the door. She was also told by the female police officer that the phones would be blocked for two hours, which is why she did not report the scam earlier.
A 58-year-old woman from Zgorzelec County reported a scam in which a man called her mobile phone, claiming to be a police officer. He told her that an organized criminal group was operating in the city and that she would help catch the criminals. He induced her to dispose of her property to her detriment by having her make three transfers to bank accounts indicated by the caller, causing total losses of more than PLN 115,000 to her.
When attempting to extort money, perpetrators often exploit the public trust associated with the profession of police officer or other uniformed services. They provide a fictitious service ID number and personal details, and when contacting victims may even have a fake badge. They usually say that they are working on a case involving the extortion of a large amount of cash, or ask for money in connection with a traffic accident caused by someone from the victim’s immediate family. Ultimately, they arrange to meet the victim at a specified time and place, preferably somewhere without surveillance cameras. The scammers then disappear with the cash, leaving their victims without their savings. In every similar situation, officers appeal for caution, as perpetrators often claim to be close family members. They very often alter their voices, pretending to be ill or crying.
Do not give in to pressure or act impulsively. If you suspect that a scam has occurred, contact your bank as soon as possible. You should also notify the Police of your suspicions. Otherwise, you may lose your life savings.