Polish seniors lose hundreds of thousands of złoty in phone scams

In Ostrołęka County, a 77‑year‑old woman was contacted by callers pretending to be her son and his granddaughter, claiming a traffic accident required a 70,000 zł cash bail. Believing the story, she transferred the money before the deception was uncovered.

In Zgorzelec County, an 87‑year‑old man received a call from a woman posing as a hospital director who said his relatives were in serious condition and needed costly treatment. He was instructed to hand over cash to men claiming to be couriers, ultimately losing 360,000 zł. Both incidents were reported to the local police, who warned that officials never demand cash transfers by telephone and urged seniors and families to verify any such requests.

Police officials emphasized the importance of using safety passwords, avoiding sharing banking codes, and contacting assumed relatives directly to prevent similar fraud.