Poland is grappling with an unprecedented wave of fraud attempts and identity theft. Banks such as Pekao S.A. and PKO BP, along with the National Police Headquarters, have issued a series of warnings about new criminal methods. Scammers are using fake payment demands for fines, road tolls, and messages from platforms like Netflix or Revolut to drain the accounts of unsuspecting citizens, leading to losses reaching hundreds of thousands of złoty.

Fine and Toll Phishing

Massive campaign of sending SMS messages with links to fake payment gateways under the pretext of a fine.

Warnings from Major Banks

Pekao and PKO BP are sounding the alarm about emails imitating official bank correspondence with dangerous attachments.

Massive Financial Losses

Individual victims have lost from PLN 200,000 to as much as PLN 360,000 as a result of telephone manipulation.

Senior with a 6+ Program

Lower Silesian Police launches an educational initiative for elderly people in the face of a wave of domestic scams.

In the final days of February 2026, Poland's digital space was flooded with a series of sophisticated phishing and social engineering attacks. The latest reports point to a particularly dangerous practice involving fake SMS messages about alleged fines and overdue road tolls. Criminals use almost identical website addresses, where a difference of a single letter can lead to the loss of all savings. Financial institutions, including Bank Pekao S.A. and PKO BP, have responded by issuing urgent communications instructing customers never to open suspicious attachments or click on links suggesting a need to verify data. The scale of the problem is evident in reports from local police units. In one drastic case, a Polish resident lost over PLN 350,000, while another senior citizen, believing the legitimacy of scammers posing as bank employees, transferred them PLN 360,000 under the pretext of investing in shares of a fuel conglomerate. Criminals are not limited to the virtual sphere. In Lower Silesia, cases have been recorded of individuals impersonating firefighters who exploit the ongoing smoke detector distribution campaign to enter apartments and extort money from elderly people. In response to these threats, the Lower Silesian Police have launched a social program aimed at educating the oldest age groups about everyday safety. Fraud methods evolve with technology; from the classic "grandchild scam," through investment fraud on cryptocurrency platforms, to advanced telephone spoofing mimicking official bank helplines.Analysis of reports suggests that scammers are increasingly targeting specific interest groups, offering, for example, cheap energy resources like eco-pea coal, or tickets to popular concerts. A key element of these attacks is putting time pressure on the victim, forcing hasty decisions. In the business sector, the biggest threat currently remains fake emails from alleged superiors, showing that these practices affect not only private individuals but entire corporate structures. „Apelujemy o wyjątkową czujność w sieci i każdorazową weryfikację próśb o kody BLIK, nawet jeśli wydaje się, że pisze do nas osoba znajoma.” (We appeal for exceptional vigilance online and to verify every request for BLIK codes, even if it seems to come from someone we know.) — Police Statement