The Wrocław police are looking for people who may have been deceived by a man pretending to be a gasworks employee. The victims of the scam were mainly seniors. The suspect is already in the hands of the police, who have published his image.
Officers of the Criminal Department of the Municipal Police Headquarters in Wrocław recently detained a suspect suspected of crimes involving a “gasworks employee”.
“The police located a man who cheated and robbed mainly seniors. The officers determined that there may be up to 60 people injured, for a total amount of at least PLN 120,000,” reports the Social Communication Team of the Municipal Police Headquarters in Wrocław.
Mode of action
According to investigators' findings, in preparation for his criminal activity, the man selected the apartments he visited. Then he introduced himself as a gasworks employee and had to check the condition of gas stoves to see if there were any leaks or gas leaks. He used an alleged gas sensor for this purpose. The man knew that the red light in the device must come on, indicating that the installation was incorrect. Then, after such an “inspection”, he suggested replacing the entire gas stove or the gas sensor. Most often, he installed a gas sensor, which cost several dozen zlotys, but he charged a fee of several hundred zlotys. Moreover, when he saw where the interlocutors hid their money, he distracted the household members and robbed them.
During the arrest, the officers seized items used by the suspect while committing prohibited acts, including a stamp for a fictitious gas company, numerous invoices, a gas sensor and device, and a false ID with a photo of the gas company. In addition, the 45-year-old was wanted on two arrest warrants by one of the Warsaw courts in order to be taken to a detention center or a prison.
The 45-year-old man is a resident of Wrocław. The fraudster was alleged to have committed the crime in the period from 2022 to April 17 this year. By court decision, he was placed in pre-trial detention for three months, but the penalty he could face is up to eight years in prison.
They show what it looks like
The case is being investigated by police officers from the investigation department. Wrocław police officers are looking for other victims in connection with the man's criminal activities. They decided to publish the image of a man suspected of fraud, hoping that it would help identify other people who could have fallen victim to his actions.
An image of a man who pretended to be a gasworks employeeKMP Wrocław
“If you are a witness or a victim, please contact us by phone at 47 871 57 21 (Investigation Department of the Wrocław Police Headquarters), on weekdays, from 8.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.,” appeals the Wrocław police.
Main photo source: KMP Wrocław