Bolesławiec police warn:

If someone from your family or a friend has written to you on Messenger asking for a quick loan, stay alert. Such a message may be an attempt to extort money. Criminals are increasingly using the “BLIK scam,” taking over social media accounts and impersonating their owners.

Yesterday, reports from three residents of our county were received by Bolesławiec Police units.

The victims were a married couple from Bolesławiec gmina, who at the same time received a message from the account of the same person asking for help paying for something. Both provided a BLIK code and confirmed the payment, losing nearly 2,000 zlotys in total. They were convinced they were helping a family member.

A resident of Nowogrodziec gmina lost more than 800 zlotys in a similar way.

How do scammers operate?

The pattern is always similar. After breaking into a social media account, the scammer contacts people on the friend list and asks for immediate financial help. They explain that they urgently need money—for medicine, a lost handbag, a trip home, or another emergency. They then ask for a BLIK code, which allows them to withdraw cash from an ATM.

The person being scammed, convinced they are helping someone close to them, often does not suspect that they are writing to a criminal.

Police appeal:

  • Check before you send money!
  • Before providing a loan or giving a BLIK code, call your friend and make sure that they really are the one writing to you.
  • Do not provide BLIK codes at the request of a message—this is most often a scam.
  • Do not act under time pressure—criminals deliberately create a sense of urgency.
  • Be careful if the request seems unusual or sudden.