Skawina Senior Conned Out of Nearly One Million Zlotys: One Suspect Arrested as Police Recover Smaller Sum in Separate Case

A female resident of Skawina lost close to one million zlotys to fraudsters posing as postal workers and police officers on July 30, 2026, prompting a multi-agency police investigation and subsequent arrest.

The Initial Phone Call

The fraud took place on July 30, 2026. A woman posing as a post office employee called the landline of a Skawina resident, informing the senior that packages had been sent to her address and attempting to verify if the provided address was correct. The woman, suspecting no deception, provided the requested information.

The False Police Officer

After some time, the phone rang again. The caller claimed she was trying to contact the senior on her mobile phone and asked to verify her number. A short time later, another woman reached out on that exact number, convincing the senior that she had likely fallen victim to fraudsters posing as postal workers and claiming her savings were in danger. She then began questioning the woman about her accumulated money, inquiring how much she had in savings, whether she kept it at home, and what funds she held in bank accounts.

The Secret Operation

Convinced she was speaking with a police officer conducting a covert operation, the woman provided all the information. The female fraudster then gave precise instructions, ordering the senior to pack her savings and go to the bank, even organizing a taxi to pick up the victim.

The fake police officer stayed on the line with the senior throughout the entire taxi ride to prevent her from contacting anyone. The taxi took her to the indicated bank, but upon arrival, the branch was closed. The fraudsters quickly changed the plan and directed the woman to another location, this time in Podgórze.

It was there that the handover of the money was supposed to take place. A man appeared at the site, providing the correct, previously established password for the cash delivery. The senior handed him the packaged money, and the fraudster instructed her not to tell anyone about the alleged secret police operation for 24 hours.

The Suspect Is Caught, but the Money Is Gone

However, her absence worried her household members. When they began asking where she had been, the senior told them about the entire event, realizing only then that she might have fallen victim to scammers.

Officers from the Criminal Department of the Poviat Police Headquarters in Kraków, together with criminal operatives from the Voivodeship Police Headquarters in Kraków, swung into action. Investigators reconstructed the course of events step by step to identify individuals connected to the fraud.

The trail led to a town in another voivodeship, where the man involved in the criminal scheme was staying. Nearly one million zlotys collected from the senior had already been passed on to other individuals involved in the criminal operation.

On August 18, criminal officers from the WPH in Kraków, alongside operatives from the National Police Headquarters Criminal Bureau, obtained information that another fraud might take place in the Nowa Huta area. The information was passed to tactical police officers from the Municipal Police Headquarters in Kraków, who quickly arrived at the designated location.

Captured Suspect and Recovered Cash

Their findings were confirmed when tactical officers spotted a man who, according to earlier intelligence, had moments earlier collected handed-over cash from a senior. The police immediately intervened and detained the man, finding him in possession of the entire sum taken from the senior—25,000 PLN.

This time, the cash was recovered in full and will be returned to the aggrieved party.

Another Appeal

The police appeal once again to exercise extreme caution in the event of a suspicious phone call. Officers never ask for money to be handed over or organize secret operations requiring the surrender of personal savings.