Services Dismantle Money Laundering Group Worth Millions: Wave of Cybercrime Floods Poland

The Polish Police, in cooperation with international law enforcement agencies, conducted a series of spectacular strikes against cybercrime structures. The most significant success was recorded in Wrocław, where officers of the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime (CBZC) dismantled a group managing fake call centers. The criminals, posing as investment advisors, persuaded victims to transfer funds to cryptocurrency exchanges, and then "laundered" the profits through a network of connected exchanges. During the operation conducted in six voivodeships, 13 individuals of various nationalities were detained, and investigators secured property worth millions of zloty, including cash and cryptocurrency wallets. Investigators secured computer equipment and cash, allowing for further mapping of the group's financial connections. The mechanism of money laundering through cryptocurrencies has become a key challenge for law enforcement in the last decade, replacing traditional methods of transfers through countries with low banking supervision.Simultaneously, the banking sector is alarming about a massive phishing campaign. Bank Pekao S.A. warns about malicious email attachments, while PKO BP informs about fake messages regarding BLIK. Criminals are increasingly using sophisticated social engineering techniques, impersonating bank employees or streaming platforms like Netflix. In Garwolin, police officers directed an indictment against fraudsters offering fictitious shares of fuel companies, showing that the "safe investment" motive still effectively attracts victims. Local police units are also noting a return of traditional fraud methods. In Bielsko-Biała and Łódź, individuals operating the "on accident" method were detained, with seniors losing their life savings becoming victims. Authorities also warn about frauds during fuel purchases, where offers of eco-pea coal at lowered prices turn out to be a trap, and about fake firefighters in Lower Silesia, who under the pretext of paid inspections of installations and sensors attempt to extort money from residents. The scale of the phenomenon forces financial institutions and the police not only to take operational actions but also to conduct broad public education. „Działalność grupy polegała na praniu brudnych pieniędzy pochodzących z oszustw internetowych, w tym oszustw typu inwestycyjnego, przy wykorzystaniu infrastruktury płatniczej kantoru kryptowalut.” (The group's activity involved laundering dirty money from internet frauds, including investment-type frauds, using the payment infrastructure of a cryptocurrency exchange.) — Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime

Perspektywy mediów: Liberal media emphasize systemic loopholes in cryptocurrency oversight and call for faster implementation of EU security directives. Conservative media focus on the role of uniformed services and the need for harsher punishment of fraudsters preying on seniors.