Fake postman and police chief – Poczta Polska warns against fraudsters
A fraudster posing as a postal worker and police commander manipulated an elderly woman into withdrawing money from her account and depositing it into "contact boxes" in trash bins. The elderly woman lost 85,000 złoty, and the perpetrator has not yet been caught. This is one of the incidents in which fraudsters exploit Poles' trust in postal workers. The scammers use devious methods – by phone, online, or text messages. The Polish Post Office presents the most common methods and advises where to report fraud attempts.
Public trust in postal workers and the good name of Poczta Polska are unfortunately exploited by fraudsters looking for easy money. These scammers most often target seniors. This was the case in May, when a Bydgoszcz resident received a call from a hidden number from a man posing as a Post Office employee.
The criminal first obtained the victim's address and then called again, this time posing as a police commander. He manipulated the woman, claiming she was being watched and threatened by a mysterious gang. He ordered the elderly woman to withdraw her savings from the bank and leave it at a designated location. The elderly woman withdrew 15,000 złoty. But that wasn't the end of it. The fraudster called again and convinced the victim to take out a 70,000 złoty loan. Unfortunately, the perpetrator has still not been found.
There are many more such cases, which is why Poczta Polska has prepared a guide describing the methods used by fraudsters and showing where to report suspicious cases.
PHONE SCAMS
Postman Method No. 1:
The criminal calls the victim, posing as a Polish Post Office postman (note: sometimes they provide the real name and surname of a postman in a given area) and asks for the correct delivery address for a registered letter from the bank. During the call, the scammer manipulates the caller to obtain information about the victim's bank account. Once the criminal has this information, another call comes in, purporting to be from the bank or the police. The victim is told they've just fallen into a trap set by a former Post Office employee, or they're informed they're being wiretapped and under surveillance by a gang of cybercriminals. Emotions run high, especially when they hear that their money may be at risk, or even their health and life may be at risk. The criminals insist on close cooperation with the "police", and the alleged officer encourages the victim to participate in a police provocation and asks them to make a withdrawal from the bank and then transfer the cash to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBŚ), i.e., to a fake accomplice who collects the loot.
There have also been cases where deposit boxes were supposed to be local trash bins, or the senior was asked to wrap money and throw it out the window at a designated time. Sometimes, scammers also attempt to extort personal information from victims, such as their PESEL number, signature specimen, and ID number, all in an attempt to take out a loan on the victim's account.
Postman Scam No. 2:
Scammers first call the victim—usually a senior citizen—posing as a postman and informing them that a package will be delivered today. Shortly afterward, they call again, posing as a police officer investigating a "postman" scam. This way, they gain the victim's trust. Then, by asking tricky questions or skillfully directing the conversation, they obtain information about valuables and money the victim has at home. After some time, the supposed police officer arrives at the victim's home and enters, claiming to be there to secure the threatened cash or valuables. After entering the home, they intimidate the victim and rob them.
ONLINE FRAUD
Pallet Scam:
Criminals are organizing fake campaigns aimed at defrauding Poczta Polska customers. Impersonating Poczta Polska, they offer to purchase pallets of supposedly undeliverable shipments that are supposedly sitting in warehouses. The offer is always very attractive, and an entire pallet can supposedly be purchased for just a few zlotys. Information is shared via social media, including a short description, positive comments from "buyers," and photos of pallet shipments with the Poczta Polska logo and a clearly visible "promotional price."
Lost Package Lottery
: Scammers, impersonating the Post Office, offer the opportunity to participate in a lottery for a few zlotys and win a "lost package." Information is also shared on social media, along with a description and photo of the supposed lost package.
Customs surcharge phishing
is a phishing campaign involving cybercriminals impersonating the Polish Post Office. Emails are sent from addresses spoofing noreply@poczta-polska.pl, but it's important to remember that this is a scam, attempting to impersonate an official email from the institution. Fake emails often originate from addresses where "xx" can be a number or a combination of numbers or letters, and the address ends with a suffix other than ".pl," e.g., @poczta-polska.xx.com, @poczta-polska.xx.org, @poczta-polska.xx.net.
The message reads as follows:
"Dear Customer,
Thank you for choosing Poczta Polska. Due to your Poczta Polska order, you will have to pay additional import fees to receive your order tomorrow.
Shipping cost: (0.05 €) https://……….. (here is a link to a fake website pretending to be Poczta Polska)
we will send you an email when the goods are ready for delivery, informing you that the status has changed to shipped."
SMS SCAMS
Parcel Surcharge
The victim receives a text message requesting an additional payment for the parcel: "Your parcel has been held due to an underpayment of PLN 0.50." or "Your parcel number (...) requires an additional payment of PLN 0.87. Failure to pay will result in the parcel being returned to the sender. Please pay the amount by clicking on the provided link https://(…)." The link sent by cybercriminals leads to a fake electronic payment panel.
Please note! Poczta Polska will never ask you to pay in this way. Remember not to click on any links or share BLIK codes or your payment card details. It's worth taking the time to verify such messages to protect yourself from potential losses, such as smartphone infection, compromised logins and passwords, and bank account evacuation.
shipments
sent by Poczta Polska. Text messages claiming the shipment cannot be delivered are often generated from foreign numbers. The messages contain a link that takes the victim to a phishing website.
Incorrect Address:
Scammers impersonating the Polish Post Office send victims a text message informing them that delivery is impossible due to an incorrect address. To receive the package, they supposedly simply click on a link to a form, complete it, and pay a small fee to change the address. Of course, the linked pages are fake, and completing the form and making the payment could result in the loss of all your bank account balance. Therefore, you should avoid opening suspicious links, especially from strangers. Be wary of all online "deals," and verify the authenticity of any received message.
HOW TO DEFEND YOURSELF AGAINST FRAUDSTERS
Remember – be vigilant. Don't act thoughtlessly, don't let emotions get the better of you when a stranger calls or writes. No matter who they claim to be – a postman, police officer, prosecutor, or banker – always verify their identity. Ask them to show their ID through a peephole, for example, if someone rings your doorbell. Or call the institution the visitor or caller claims to be to check if they actually work there.
You should also be wary of messages with unusual topics or purportedly unusual promotions, as well as content containing suspicious links or attachments – do not click on such links or open suspicious files. If you receive correspondence in which the sender impersonates Poczta Polska, report it to CERT Poczta Polska by forwarding the message to the email address: fakt@poczta-polska.pl . This will allow Poczta Polska to warn other users and report the fraudulent links and numbers to the appropriate authorities.
To verify a received SMS message, send it to the number 8080 provided for this purpose by CERT Polska . In response, you will receive information about whether the message is legitimate.
Poczta Polska reminds that the correct address of the Company's website is: https://www.poczta-polska.pl , and the addresses of the websites used to track parcels are: https://www.poczta-polska.pl/sledzenie-przesylek/ and www.pocztex.pl/sledzenie-przesylek/ .
It's worth remembering this:
- using the website to check if the domain is valid,
- Be vigilant if you are asked to provide your password, even if the message appears official,
- remember that messages containing attachments are particularly suspicious, especially archives and Office documents with a password provided in the message body,
- update the operating system and programs on your computer or phone,
- update your antivirus program,
- For sensitive private communications, use end-to-end encrypted messaging services, such as Signal.