Polish police detain 21 people over fake mObywatel app, 13 of them minors

The operation

Officers from the Central Cybercrime Bureau (CBZC) shut down the distribution of a counterfeit version of mObywatel, the Polish state digital identity app. Twelve regional divisions of the bureau worked on the case together, carrying out 27 searches across several voivodeships. The operation aimed to remove the fake application from circulation and led to the detention of 21 people. Police said the fake program was built to look almost identical to the official application, and the operation targeted the people who sold and spread it.

How the script worked

The script generated a virtual identity document filled with false personal data, which allowed it to pass as the genuine mObywatel. Because of that resemblance, minors were able to use it to make purchases they were not supposed to make. Some of the young people advertised the product online and among their friends, and passed the script on to acquaintances. Others administered the website on which the app could be bought.

Who was detained

Police detained 21 people in total, 13 of them minors. The young suspects confirmed that they had bought the program, and the adults were taken before prosecutors. The chart below shows the total and the minors among those detained.

Total detained21

Minors among detained13

Total detained

21 people

Minors among detained

13 people

Data from the article text

Spokesman Michał Pietraszko of the CBZC described the evidence gathered during the searches.

“More than 30 devices were secured at the detention sites, including phones, laptops and computers. Criminal activity was confirmed for all perpetrators, including correspondence and transfer history.”

The seized evidence is central to the case going forward, and police say it confirmed a criminal role for each person in custody.

Charges and custody

Minors were handed over to family courts, and those courts received the case documentation after the procedures involving the young suspects were completed. Adults who were brought before prosecutors were charged with taking part in an organized criminal group, unlawful production, acquisition, sale or sharing of computer programs, and material forgery of a document. Three adult suspects were remanded in custody, while two others were placed under police supervision. The proceedings are supervised by prosecutors in Strzelce Opolskie, Gliwice and Wrocław Stare Miasto.

What comes next

Investigators seized more than 30 devices, along with payment and transfer histories, and described the case as still developing. The more than 30 devices were seized so far, and no final count of material has been published. Police have said that further detentions are possible. The minors' cases remain with the family courts, while the adult suspects await the next steps in their proceedings.