The police arrested a man who cheated using the “blink” method. The officers seized over PLN 16,000 in cash, a mobile phone with codes saved in it, drugs and ATM cards.
Police officers from the intelligence team of the Bemowo police station received information about a man who could make withdrawals using “illegally obtained BLIK codes”.
– According to the information they had, the man was standing at the ATM and nervously looking around, constantly glancing at his mobile phone – says Marta Sulowska, spokeswoman for the Wola police.
– During the inspection, intelligence officers discovered money in his pocket amounting to over PLN 16,000, while in his purse the man had several ATM cards with other names. Additionally, the 20-year-old had drugs on him. The police seized his mobile phone and took him to police custody, the policewoman adds.
The suspect was charged with fraud, possession of a psychotropic substance such as amphetamine and concealing documents. At the request of the Warsaw-Wola District Prosecutor’s Office, the court imposed three months’ arrest. He faces eight years in prison for these crimes.
The “blink” method. How do criminals work?
Marta Sulowska reminds that the pattern of operation of fraudsters is usually very similar. – First, they hack into a social networking account, take it over, and then send messages to their friends asking them to share the BLIK code – describes the policewoman.
Criminals impersonate the account owner and conduct casual conversations so as not to arouse their anxiety. They ask for a BLIK code in the amount of several hundred zlotys, and at the same time promise to refund the money as soon as possible. The owner of the bank account, being sure that he is helping his friend, without suspecting anything, provides the code and confirms the transaction in the mobile application. After receiving the code, fraudsters most often withdraw cash from an ATM in another region of the country or pay for online purchases.
Unfortunately, transactions made using the BLIK code cannot be reversed.
What to remember to avoid being robbed
– First of all, you should secure access to your social media account by using two-factor login authentication. Please also remember to log out of your account after you have finished using it.
– Do not provide the generated code without confirming whether it is actually our friend asking for a loan. Just call a friend to make sure he or she is actually in need.
– Always check the transaction details carefully before confirming it in the mobile banking application, e.g. where your money will be withdrawn.
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