How do scammers operate?
– One method used by criminals is the “American soldier” scam. The scammer searches the Internet for lonely people and then makes contact with them. Using photographs found online, he presents himself as an American soldier who is currently outside his country – explains asp. szt. Łukasz Dutkowiak, press officer of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Wrocław. – Through regular contact and presenting false stories from his life, he gains the victim’s trust, and then asks for financial assistance, for example, to buy an airline ticket or help him in a difficult life situation.
When the fraud victim sends money to the criminal’s account, contact is cut off. She is left deceived, without both her “beloved” and her money.
A similar crime occurred in Góra County. The spokesperson said: – A 60-year-old woman met a man through a popular social networking site who claimed to be an American military doctor serving on a mission in Afghanistan.
The victim corresponded with the purported 61-year-old widower via online messaging services. At some point, after gaining his victim’s trust, the admirer told her that he had sent her a package—for safekeeping—containing all his savings and valuable belongings. As he explained: “There is no one closer to me than you.”
After some time, the woman received a message saying that the package had been blocked at the airport in London because it contained cash. The woman was asked to pay a specified amount of money so that the package could be sent onward. The police officer said: – The American admirer asked his chosen woman to pay the requested amount, as this was supposedly the only way she would not lose the savings he had allegedly sent to her. After she paid the money, the soldier disappeared and cut off contact with the woman, and, of course, no package ever arrived.
The result? From November last year to April 25, the 60-year-old woman lost more than PLN 340,000! Police warn against relationships formed online:
Remember! When making new acquaintances online, you should be careful. Especially if the person you meet asks you for money. Scammers follow certain patterns. They usually avoid telephone conversations. They also avoid revealing where they come from; their social media accounts contain no personal information, photographs with family, or details about their workplace or residence. Through regular contact and presenting false stories from their lives, they gain the victim’s trust and then ask for financial assistance to buy a ticket or cover the cost of sending a package. Scammers constantly modify the way they operate. Therefore, only our caution, vigilance, and distance from the information provided will prevent us from becoming their next victim.