It only took one message and one link for a woman to lose access to her bank account and over 16 thousand zlotys. This type of online fraud is becoming increasingly common — criminals exploit the trust of sellers and their urgency, disguising themselves as ordinary buyers.
A 24-year-old resident of the Pomeranian Voivodeship reported to the police after becoming a victim of online fraud while selling clothing. She posted a men’s shirt on one of the social media platforms, after which she was contacted by an allegedly interested buyer.
During the correspondence, the woman received an email with a payment confirmation and a link to «complete the transaction.» By clicking on it, she ended up on a website where she was asked to enter personal details and select a bank to confirm the operation. After that, she logged into her online banking system. However, almost immediately, an error message appeared, and the site stopped working.
Shortly thereafter, an unknown man called her and began giving instructions on how to «complete the sale.» He sent another link, through which the woman installed the suggested application on her phone. After that, the device stopped functioning properly — a black screen appeared along with messages about system updates.
When the phone started working again, alarming SMS messages from the bank began to arrive: about card blocks and attempts to make transactions. By that time, contact with the «buyer» had already been cut off.
Attempts to log into online banking were unsuccessful. Later, after contacting the bank, the woman learned that her account had been hacked, and several transfers had been made from it. In total, the criminals stole 16,117.19 zlotys. The cards and access to the account were blocked, and the victim filed a report with the police.
Law enforcement is conducting an investigation and once again warns: such schemes are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Fraudsters pose as buyers, send fake links, and persuade victims to install malicious applications. The police emphasize: do not click on suspicious links, do not install programs at the request of strangers, and do not enter banking details outside of the official application or website of the bank.
Source: https://dziennikbaltycki.pl/sprzedawala-koszule-w-sieci-stracila-ponad-16-tysiecy-zlotych-jeden-link-od-kupujacego-wystarczyl-by-przejac-jej-konto-bankowe/ar/c1p2-28968707
