With the heating season approaching, the internet is being flooded with advertisements offering coal, pellets and eco-pea coal at exceptionally attractive prices. Particularly during promotional periods such as Black Week and Black Friday, scammers increase their activity, taking advantage of growing demand and customers’ desire to save money. Unfortunately, not every offer, even if it looks professional, is honest.

On November 26, a 41-year-old resident of the county reported to police officers in Ząbkowice that she had been defrauded when purchasing heating fuel online. After she made the payment, contact with the seller completely ceased, and the ordered goods were never delivered.

How do the criminals operate?

The criminals’ modus operandi is usually very similar. An advertisement offering heating fuel at an exceptionally favorable price appears online. The website looks credible: it has a logo, contact details and even reviews from supposed customers. Convinced that the offer is attractive, the buyer pays a deposit or the full amount. The seller then suddenly stops responding, and the money is lost.

– In the case discussed, the woman lost PLN 1,400, believing that she was making a safe purchase from a reliable seller. Unfortunately, it was a fictitious offer created solely to extort money – says Sub-Inspector Katarzyna Mazurek, press officer of the Ząbkowice County Police Headquarters.

How can you avoid being scammed?

Scammers are also increasingly using more advanced methods, creating websites deceptively similar to legitimate shops and wholesalers. Only the website address changes, often by a single letter or character. This type of activity, known as phishing, involves impersonating well-known brands in order to extort money or personal data.

Police remind consumers of the most important rules for buying heating fuel safely online:

  • Always verify the seller’s credibility, tax identification number, company address, telephone number and online reviews.
  • Carefully compare the website address and domain name, paying attention even to minimal differences.
  • Demand a receipt or invoice; it is basic proof of a legal transaction.
  • Avoid transfers to private bank accounts, especially when the seller claims to represent a company.
  • Withdraw from transactions without a contract, documents or confirmations; “payment in hand” is a warning sign.
  • Keep correspondence and transfer confirmations; they may constitute key evidence in proceedings.
  • If possible, choose payment on delivery, as this minimizes the risk of losing your money.

Police:

Online scammers are not slowing down. They change their tools and victims, but their goal remains the same: to extort money by exploiting our trust. That is why we repeat our appeal: buy heating fuel only from verified, legally operating sellers and always demand documents confirming the transaction.

A quick bargain very often means an even quicker loss. There is no room online for excessive trust; there is, however, room for caution, common sense and vigilance. These are the best protection against scammers.