Polish police arrest man over fake 300-pizza order and harassment campaign

Cybercrime operation in Szczecin

Police officers from the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime, operating alongside the Investigation Department of the Szczecin Municipal Police, have detained a 23-year-old man accused of orchestrating an extensive food delivery harassment campaign. The operation was carried out under the supervision of the District Prosecutor's Office in Szczecin following renewed reports of fraudulent cash-on-delivery orders. Investigators searched the suspect's residence, where they seized multiple electronic devices and data storage media used to execute the scheme. Following the arrest, a Polish court approved a prosecutor request to place the man in preventive detention for two months. The suspect faces up to eight years in prison on charges including unlawful harassment, identity fraud, and causing financial damage to businesses.

Mass pizza orders and financial losses

The suspect targeted catering businesses by placing large orders with payment requested upon delivery, leaving restaurants to bear the unpaid costs. In one incident, he placed a single order for 300 pizzas with a total value of 8,583 euros (over 37,000 Polish zlotys). Local eateries rejected several of the largest orders on technical grounds, as kitchen staff were unable to prepare and deliver such high volumes of food efficiently. Unpaid meals that were prepared were dispatched to random residential addresses or specified individuals without their consent. The recurring unpaid orders generated direct financial losses for local restaurants that prepared batches of food without receiving compensation.

Stolen identities and geographical spread

The fraudulent scheme relied on the personal details of public figures and private individuals, used without their authorization. The suspect submitted orders under the names of prominent politicians and media personalities, listing them as recipients of the deliveries. Deliveries were primarily directed to addresses in Szczecin, but investigators confirmed that the harassment extended across several other urban centers. Over a dozen similar incidents occurred in Warsaw, Kraków, and Wrocław. The named recipients received no advance notice and only learned of the orders when couriers arrived at their doors demanding payment.

Delivery notes with threats and private data

In addition to financial fraud, the delivery instructions attached to the orders served as vehicles for harassment and intimidation. Delivery note fields repeatedly included precise personal details about the victims, containing information that authorities stated could only be known to the targets themselves or their immediate circles. The notes also carried explicit criminal threats, including references to kidnapping a minor, setting fire to a notary office, and intentionally causing a road traffic accident.

The Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime described the effect on the targeted individuals.

These actions made them feel threatened and harassed and also represented a violation of their private life.

Legal proceedings and forensic examination

The District Prosecutor's Office in Szczecin continues to lead the criminal proceedings while technical experts examine the digital equipment seized from the suspect's home. Cybercrime investigators are analyzing stored files and logs to determine whether additional catering establishments or public figures were targeted during earlier phases of the scheme. The two-month pre-trial custody order ensures the suspect remains detained while prosecutors assemble the evidence base. If convicted on all charges of identity theft, criminal threats, and business fraud, the 23-year-old faces a prison term of up to eight years.