A 61-year-old resident of Zgorzelec County reported to the Zgorzelec County Police Headquarters, saying that she had most likely fallen victim to fraud. – The woman’s account showed that a woman claiming to be an employee of a non-bank lender had called her. The alleged consultant informed her that a loan had been taken out using the victim’s personal details – reports Superintendent Agnieszka Goguł, press officer for the Commander of the Zgorzelec County Police.

She adds:

The 61-year-old denied applying for any financial obligations. At that point, her interlocutor said that she would “put the loan procedure on hold” and suddenly ended the call.

After a few minutes, a man contacted the victim, introducing himself as an employee of the security department of one of the well-known banks. He claimed that someone had tried to take out a loan from her account and, to protect the funds in her account, instructed her to block the account and transfer the money to a so-called technical account. The spokesperson: – Unfortunately, the woman followed the fake consultant’s instructions.

The result? The policewoman:

The scammer caused the woman to generate more than a dozen BLIK codes, which she confirmed, ultimately losing PLN 8,500.

How can you avoid being scammed?

Officers: – We remind you that no bank employee ever asks for money, BLIK codes, passwords or transfers to “safe accounts”.

Remember that scammers often call in several stages to gain trust. First, they pose as an employee of, for example, a non-bank lender or financial institution and inform you about an alleged loan or credit. Later, an alleged “security department specialist” from a real bank calls, solely to make us fear for our savings.

Therefore, never make decisions under pressure. Criminals create apparent threats and insist on immediate action, giving us no time to think.

Never provide BLIK codes. A bank does not ask for such information.

A bank does not ask you to transfer money to a so-called technical account. This is a sign that you are dealing with a criminal.

Hang up and call your bank’s helpline yourself. Use the number from the official website, not one provided, for example, in an SMS or message from the caller.

If you have any doubts, call a family member, someone you trust or the police and share your suspicions.

If you receive a suspicious phone call, end the conversation and notify the police.