– Criminals are constantly coming up with new versions of scams, posing, among other things, as American soldiers, generals, commandos, oil-rig workers, doctors on missions or investors, and so on. – says Asp. Aleksandra Pieprzycka of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Wrocław. – And they prey on human emotions.

She adds:

The stories they tell, down to the smallest detail, are very carefully thought out and designed to stir emotions. Scammers slowly build a friendship and gain trust, and when the right moment comes… they ask for money. Unaware of the deception, victims transfer cash to the criminals’ bank accounts, losing their savings and eventually taking out loans. Let’s stay alert and not be fooled by appearances!

A 78-year-old resident of Świdnica County found this out the hard way. The spokeswoman: – It all began in April last year, when the fraudster contacted the woman through social media. They began getting to know each other, communicating via one of the popular messaging apps. The scammer claimed to be an American soldier on a mission in Iraq. In correspondence with the 78-year-old, he shared a great deal about himself, thereby gaining her trust. In their conversations, the man showed increasing interest in the woman he had just met.

Soon, the “soldier” began asking for money. At first, he requested small sums to “prepare documents” or “frame medals.” Unaware of the deception, the woman transferred money to the criminal’s account.

In December, at the supposed American’s urging, the senior woman began corresponding with another man. He introduced himself as a “general.” Asp. A. Pieprzycka:

This person persuaded the 78-year-old to make further transfers to cover the purchase of tickets, the cost of a leave pass and health insurance for her soldier acquaintance. The woman believed him and made more transfers.

That was not the end of it. The spokeswoman: – After some time, a “Curier” also contacted the victim, claiming to represent a company involved in parcel delivery. A parcel was supposedly going to be delivered to her, sent by the soldier from Iraq. The woman was expected to cover the associated costs. The soldier with whom the 78-year-old had been corresponding promised to return all the money when he came to collect her.

The outcome? Officers: – The soldier, general and courier turned out to be scammers, and the declarations of love were fictitious. The only real things were the funds the woman transferred to the scammers’ accounts—money from her savings and from loans she had taken out. As a result of her online acquaintances, the victim lost a total of nearly PLN 220,000.

Police:

When communicating with people met online, exercise particular caution and follow the principle of limited trust, especially when they ask us for money.