Fraud help in Poland: take the first steps
A fake delivery message, fraudulent BLIK request or offer using a real employer’s name can lead to financial loss and misuse of personal details. Acting promptly means addressing the payment, the suspected crime and any identity exposure separately. This fraud help guide for Poland brings together practical steps and official resources so you can decide whom to contact and what information to prepare.
Start with the most immediate risk. If money or bank access is involved, contact your bank promptly. Keep the original messages and documents, and write down what happened while it is fresh in your mind. You can ask for help before you have gathered every piece of evidence.
Use the right reporting service
Police or prosecutors receive criminal complaints. CERT Polska receives suspicious-message and cybersecurity reports. If identity details were exposed, the official PESEL-blocking service may provide an additional safeguard. Start with Poland’s official police reporting guidance, then follow the relevant sections below for banking, identity protection and consumer complaints. Keep copies of reports and reference numbers so you can follow up consistently.
Check suspicious letters and payment requests
A real company name, familiar logo or official-looking document is not enough to establish authenticity. Read our guide to company letterhead security and impersonation scams, and learn how secure business communication can help organisations make correspondence easier to verify.
Contact the claimed sender through details you find independently before taking further action. Be cautious of unsolicited recovery offers that demand an advance payment or promise guaranteed results. For incidents involving another jurisdiction, visit the country-by-country Fraud Help directory.
1. Stop Further Losses
Call 112 when immediate emergency assistance is needed. For a non-emergency fraud complaint, contact a police unit or prosecutor’s office.
Stop communicating with the suspected scammer and do not send more money. Contact your bank immediately if money, card details or account access are involved. Save messages, payment records and suspicious documents. If someone has remote access to your device, disconnect it from the internet and contact your bank from another trusted device.
2. Contact Your Bank or Payment Provider
Use your bank’s official app or a trusted telephone number. Explain whether a payment was unauthorised or you were deceived into approving it. Ask about securing cards and online banking, tracing transactions and any available recall or dispute process. Keep a written record of your notification and the bank’s response. Do not send money to a caller’s supposed “safe account”. Recovery depends on the circumstances and is not guaranteed.
Tell the bank whether you disclosed login credentials, card details or a BLIK code, or approved a transaction after being misled. Ask it to secure the relevant services and review any pending transfers. Preserve payment confirmations for police. Do not send another payment to a supposed investigator or recovery agent.
3. Report the Fraud to Police
Report suspected fraud to any police unit or a prosecutor’s office. Bring photo identification and relevant evidence. If the receiving unit is not responsible for the location, it can forward the report. The government reporting guide also explains written submissions and possible follow-up attendance. Read the record carefully before signing and ask how to add evidence later.
Prepare a short timeline, payment records, recipient account details, original messages, website addresses and copies of suspicious documents. Explain how the contact began and what money or information you shared. Keep the complaint reference and any instructions for providing additional evidence.
4. Report Cybercrime and Online Fraud
Report suspicious websites, messages and technical incidents to CERT Polska using incydent.cert.pl. Forward suspicious SMS messages unchanged to 8080 using your phone’s forward function. This helps CERT address cyber threats and does not replace your police complaint.
If money was transferred, preserve the recipient account or cryptocurrency address and transaction references. Contact your bank promptly and report the suspected crime to police.
5. Protect Your Identity
If your PESEL or identity details are at risk, consider blocking your PESEL through the official mObywatel service, gov.pl or a municipal office: https://info.mobywatel.gov.pl/en/uslugi/zastrzez-pesel
For suspected misuse of a Polish identity card, follow the government’s identity-theft and document invalidation procedure. A PESEL block does not replace notifying the bank, securing compromised accounts or reporting the crime.
Notify every bank, lender, telecom provider or online platform where your identity was misused. Dispute unfamiliar accounts or debts in writing and keep the replies. Change compromised passwords from a trusted device, secure your email first and enable two-factor authentication. If an identity document is lost or stolen, contact its issuing authority about reporting, blocking or replacement.
6. Protect Your Credit
Use the official PESEL-blocking service as an additional safeguard against misuse in covered transactions. Read its current scope and how temporarily lifting a block affects legitimate transactions: https://info.mobywatel.gov.pl/en/uslugi/zastrzez-pesel
Separately contact lenders about unfamiliar loans or applications and request access to relevant credit information from the reporting provider. Dispute inaccurate information in writing and keep the police reference. Do not assume a PESEL block removes a debt or prevents every form of identity misuse.
7. Consumer-Protection Resources
UOKiK’s consumer-help directory explains where individuals can get assistance, including local consumer ombudsmen: https://uokik.gov.pl/en/help-for-consumers
For a trader dispute, keep the contract and make a written complaint. Ask the appropriate adviser about dispute-resolution options. Suspected criminal fraud should also be reported to police. A report to a consumer authority is not a guarantee of an individual refund.
8. Employment and Immigration Fraud
Verify the employer through independently sourced contact details. Keep the job advertisement, offer letter, recruiter messages and payment requests. Report fraudulent adverts to the hosting platform. If you paid money or shared identity documents, contact your bank and police and follow the identity-protection steps above. For immigration claims, confirm the procedure and official fees with the responsible authority or consulate; a professional-looking letter does not prove that it is genuine.
Do not receive or forward money through your personal bank account for an unverified employer. Verify any work-permit claim through the destination country’s official immigration service or consulate. Preserve forged letters and payment requests for police.
Official Contacts and Telephone Numbers
Call 112 when immediate emergency assistance is needed. For a non-emergency fraud complaint, contact a police unit or prosecutor’s office.
Police reporting: https://www.gov.pl/web/gov/zglos-przestepstwo
Online crime or incident guidance: https://incydent.cert.pl/
Consumer guidance: https://uokik.gov.pl/en/help-for-consumers
Report the Fraud
Polish Police (Policja) or prosecutor’s office for complaints; CERT Polska for cybersecurity incidents
Official Sources
Received a suspicious business document?
Check whether a document issued through VerifiableLetter is authentic.
Important: This guide provides general information, not legal, financial or emergency advice. Procedures and contact details can change. Confirm requirements with the relevant authority. Reporting does not guarantee investigation, reimbursement or recovery.