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Impersonation and contactless payment scams in Poland

Updated 4 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-09-20 08:25 UTC → 2026-10-04 04:27 UTC · added removed

Impersonation and contactless payment scams in Poland

In July 2026, authorities in Krotoszyn County, Poland, issued warnings regarding organized groups impersonating municipal employees. These scammers visited homes in Krotoszyn, Kobylin, and Rozdrażew, claiming employees to represent local subsidy programs for sell energy-related products like boilers and photovoltaic panels to pressure residents into signing immediate contracts. products. By August 2026, Polish police expanded their warnings to address a broader wave of sophisticated financial impersonation scams. These tactics include scams, including the ‘grandchild scam,’ where scam’ and criminals pose as family members in emergencies, as well posing as impersonating police officers, police, prosecutors, or bank employees to trick victims—particularly the elderly—into transferring funds to ‘secure’ accounts or handing cash to couriers. On August 22, 2026, new employees. Notable incidents highlighted the severity of these tactics. In Mława County, included a 31-year-old woman lost 60,000 PLN after scammers impersonating bank employees and state officials convinced her she was participating loss in a “secret operation to catch dishonest financial sector workers.” In Gdańsk, Mława County and a 77-year-old woman lost approximately 160,000 PLN during a home invasion where two men posed as “cooperative employees claiming they needed to inspect water pipes.” loss in Gdańsk. In mid-September 2026, police reported a recurring telephone scam scams involving bank impersonation. impersonation in Elbląg and Zabrze. By early October 2026, new variations of these tactics emerged. In Elbląg, the Iława district, a 73-year-old woman victim lost 90,000 48,000 PLN after being told her funds required immediate transfer instructed to ‘secure’ technical accounts. A 50-year-old woman in Zabrze deposit money via BLIK codes. In Lubin, a resident lost approximately 6,000 13,000 PLN to following a similar tactic. Authorities warned that criminals use professional language video call with an individual wearing a fake police shirt. Furthermore, a new method has been identified targeting passengers using contactless payment systems in cities such as Wrocław, Łódź, Bydgoszcz, and manipulated caller IDs the Tricity area. Scammers pose as ticket inspectors and utilize disguised payment terminals to create urgency, noting that legitimate bank employees will never request transfers perform unauthorized contactless transactions when passengers attempt to other accounts or ask for passwords and authorization codes. Additionally, the General Inspector of validate their tickets. The Financial Information (GIIF) reported Ombudsman has noted that in 2025, 1,170 bank accounts were blocked, involving approximately 266.58 million PLN, marking an increase from these transactions may be considered unauthorized, potentially obligating banks to refund the previous year. stolen amounts.

Versions

  1. 2026-10-04 04:27 UTC Impersonation and contactless payment scams in Poland
  2. 2026-09-20 08:25 UTC Impersonation scams in Poland
  3. 2026-09-16 12:24 UTC Impersonation scams in Poland
  4. 2026-08-24 12:34 UTC Impersonation scams in Poland
  5. 2026-08-24 08:36 UTC Impersonation scams in Poland

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