Police officers from Gliwice are looking for a suspect suspected of fraud using the “blink” method. The services publish a photo of the man and ask for help in establishing his identity. At the same time, they appeal for caution and vigilance when using the Internet, because there are more and more attempts to steal our data.
All it takes is a moment of inattention to become a victim of fraud. Just like a resident of Gliwice, who was robbed using the flash method. The thief withdrew cash in Szczecin. It was recorded by a camera at the ATM. Now the fraudster is wanted by the police.
– It would be a lie to say that there are days in Szczecin when we do not accept reports from people who have been defrauded using the Blik method. We receive a lot of reports, several a day, says aspirant Paweł Pankau from the local Police Headquarters.
READ ALSO: They extorted almost PLN 2.5 million using the “doctor persuasion” method.
The woman lost over PLN 2,000. The police publish photos of the fraudster and ask for help in determining his identity.
The police detained four people related to BLIK fraudKMP in Wałbrzych
How do fraudsters work?
The criminals' method of operation is simple: first, they extort sensitive data, such as logins and passwords to social media accounts, then they take control of the profile and write to their victims, impersonating their friends. – Wouldn't we lend them money, for example? These are, of course, small amounts: PLN 500, PLN 1,000 each – says Asp. Paweł Pankau.
Victims believe that they are writing to their loved ones. Usually, before extorting money, criminals read private conversations so that the request for a transfer does not arouse suspicion. – If he succeeds, he will steal, if he fails, he will steal from someone else. So each of us is potentially the target of such an attack – notes prof. Wojciech Cellary from WSB Merito University in Poznań.
Fraudsters also take advantage of the desire to make quick money. This was the case of a 75-year-old from Sopot. – It all started when our senior noticed an advertisement on the Internet. This advertisement talks about quick profit when investing in the currency market – it explains the subject of podcom. Lucyna Rekowska from the Municipal Police Headquarters in Sopot.
The pensioner registered on the website. “Financial advisors” contacted him and helped him multiply his savings. When his investments started to lose money, he decided to close the account. – At this point, the advisors contact him again and inform him that in order to withdraw the money, he needs to set up special applications. (…) When our senior installs such an application, fraudsters already have access to his computer – informs the subcommand. Lucyna Rekowska. The 75-year-old lost two hundred thousand zlotys.
The fraudsters tried to trick a retired policeman using the grandson trick, but he didn't give inJarosław Kostkowski/Fakty TVN
Experts advise how to protect yourself
Security experts warn against visiting suspicious websites. – This link then causes malware to be loaded. This software steals data from our card, passwords and other things and gives it to the thief – says prof. Wojciech Cellary.
We can usually check whether a website is safe in our browser. – On the one hand, be very careful when entering websites and checking whether they are safe. On the other hand, payment. It is best to do it not with our debit card, but with a prepaid one – advises prof. Jarosław Korpysa, economist from the University of Szczecin.
When we receive a request for a Blik transfer, it is worth calling to make sure it is not a scam. The police also recommend turning on two-factor authentication on the social networking site. – Either using a code generated specifically by the portal or sent to our e-mail box – says Asp. Paweł Pankau.
Main photo source: TVN24