November 25, the woman listed a sofa worth PLN 500 for sale on one of the popular classified-advertising portals. Later that same day, someone contacted her, declaring that they wanted to buy it and suggesting that the item be collected by a courier. The scammer asked for the victim’s email address and sent her a purchase confirmation with a link, which the woman clicked, believing that she was completing a standard transaction.
A moment later, a man called her and informed her that her account had been blocked. To unblock it, he asked her to provide a BLIK code. Believing that this was part of the sales process, the woman followed the instructions. She soon discovered that PLN 16,000 had disappeared from her account.
This case is another example of how scammers operate, exploiting their victims’ inattention and trust. Police warn people to exercise particular caution during online transactions, especially when unusual requests are made for sensitive data or payment-authorization codes.
Police remind people of the basic safety rules when using sales portals:
- Do not click on suspicious links. Before opening a link you have received, always make sure that it comes from a trustworthy source.
- Do not provide BLIK codes to strangers. These codes are intended solely for your own use, and sharing them enables criminals to withdraw money from your account.
- Verify the caller’s details. If in doubt, contact the courier company or the portal you are using directly.
- Avoid sharing sensitive information. Never provide your banking details, logins, passwords or payment-authorization codes to people you do not know.
Police appeal to residents to report any suspicious situations. Only through mutual vigilance and appropriate responses can we prevent further cases of people losing money.
Let us remember that criminals are constantly refining their methods, so it is worth keeping up to date with warnings and following safety rules during every online transaction.