Lwówek Śląski police were contacted by a woman who had been defrauded by a man claiming to be an engineer working on an oil rig. – The perpetrator contacted her through one of the social networking sites and, exploiting her trust, caused her to lose money – explains junior aspirant Olga Łukaszewicz of KPP in Lwówek Śląski.
According to the victim, the man contacted her some time ago through a social networking site. The spokesperson said: – He introduced himself as an engineer from the United States who was currently working on an oil rig. At first, their conversations were innocent, but over time they became increasingly frequent, and the man built a relationship based on trust and affection.
After some time, the alleged engineer told the woman that he wanted to leave his workplace and visit her. Then a “problem” arose—he allegedly had a blocked bank account and was unable to cover the costs associated with the trip.
He therefore asked the woman for financial help, assuring her that as soon as he managed to leave the oil rig, he would immediately return the borrowed money.
Junior aspirant O. Łukaszewicz:
Guided by trust and a desire to help, the resident of Lwówek County transferred 5,000 PLN to the account indicated by the man. Only after speaking with her relatives did she realize that she had fallen victim to a scam and report the matter to the police.
Police once again appeal for caution in contacts established online, especially with people whose identities we cannot verify:
With Valentine’s Day approaching, we remind you not to rely solely on emotions and the “voice of the heart,” but also to exercise common sense. Any request to transfer money should be treated as a warning sign, and the information provided should be carefully verified.