A phone call at 10:00 PM: "Grandma, I had an accident, I need bail..." – followed by a "police officer" who instructs to transfer savings "for security purposes." According to police data, in 2025, fraudsters extorted nearly 160 million PLN from Polish seniors using this method, and the number of cases continues to rise in 2026. The worst part: the victims are often the parents and grandparents of people living abroad – because a lonely senior is a favorite target. The good news: most security measures can be set up for parents remotely, from Chicago or London, in one evening. This guide shows current scam scenarios (including the latest – via video calls – which the police warned about on July 21, 2026), specific security measures step by step, and what to do when it happens.
How They Scam Today: Five Scenarios from 2025/2026
| Method | What It Looks Like |
|---|---|
| “Grandchild Scam” | A call from a “granddaughter/grandson” after an accident – immediate cash needed for “bail” or “settlement.” Voice “distorted by emotion” or… generated by AI. A “broker” comes to collect the money. |
| “Police Officer Scam” / CBŚP | A “officer” informs that savings are at risk (e.g., “dishonest bank employee”) and instructs to transfer funds to a “safe account” or hand cash to a courier “for security.” Often combined with a call from a fake “bank employee” who “confirms” the action. |
| “Bank Employee Scam” | A call from a number resembling a bank hotline (spoofing): “we detected a suspicious transaction,” request to install a “security” app (actually remote desktop software like AnyDesk) or transfer to a “technical account.” |
| New in 2026: Video Call | The police warned on July 21, 2026: fraudsters call with video – a uniformed “police officer” and “bank employee” on screen build credibility and pressure. The sight of a uniform proves nothing. |
| Voice Cloning (AI) | The police officially warn that criminals increasingly use AI to impersonate relatives – apply the principle of limited trust to recordings of the “grandchild's voice” and always verify by calling back to a known number. |
Three Sentences Every Parent Must Know (quotes from official police communications): “Police officers never collect money from anyone.” “Never transfer money to foreign accounts provided during a phone call.” “A bank never asks for funds to be transferred for security to a technical account.” Any call about money = hang up and call back: to the grandchild on their known number, to the bank on the number from the card, to the police at 112.
Security Measures You Can Set Up for Parents Remotely
Block PESEL Number
Free and immediate: in the mObywatel app or on gov.pl (logging in with trusted profile/bank), or in person at any municipal office. From June 1, 2024, financial institutions must check the register before granting credit – a blocked PESEL prevents loan fraud but does not hinder treatment, prescriptions, transfers, or ATM withdrawals. The simplest way: the parent does it themselves in mObywatel, and you guide them over the phone (how to set up a trusted profile for a parent – in the guide about Polish e-offices). The block can be temporarily lifted before a planned loan or visit to a notary.
Bank Limits and Power of Attorney
Together with the parent, set low daily transfer and BLIK limits (in online banking or at the branch) – a fraudster cannot withdraw savings in one transfer. Consider a power of attorney for the account for yourself (established by the account owner, usually at the branch – during a visit to Poland; some banks accept a power of attorney with a signature certified by a consul – ask at the specific bank). The attorney can see the account and catch unusual transactions.
BIK Alerts for the Whole Family
BIK alerts send SMS notifications for every attempt to take out a loan, credit, or telecommunications contract in the parent's name (48 PLN/year per person; the Safe Family Plus package covers 5 people for 238 PLN/year – a good solution “bought from America”). Note: setting up a BIK account requires identity verification (mObywatel or verification transfer) – easiest to do together during a visit.
Emergency Card Number: 828 828 828
Save the number for the Card Blocking System +48 828 828 828 for parents (and yourself) – it operates 24/7 and blocks cards in all banks with one call.
Set Up a Family Security Password
Simple and effective: a secret word known only to the family. Any call “from a grandchild in trouble” without the password = fraud. Practice the scenario aloud – seniors under pressure react instinctively, not thinking.
What to Do When It Happens – Minute by Minute
- Immediately call 112 – even when the fraud is still ongoing (a courier on the way for cash is an opportunity for the police).
- Call the bank on the official number: if the transfer has not yet settled, there may be a chance to stop it; file a complaint. Honestly: with a transfer that the senior authorized themselves under manipulation, banks often refuse to refund – that’s why speed matters, and cash handed to a courier is usually recoverable only in criminal proceedings. Details of complaint procedures and chargebacks are described in the guide on bank fraud and recovering money.
- Report the crime at any police station (fraud is Article 286 of the Penal Code – up to 8 years in prison). For internet-related cases, gather evidence according to the CBZC list: account numbers, correspondence, website addresses. Forward suspicious SMS messages (without editing) to the free number 8080 for CERT Polska, report incidents at incydent.cert.pl.
- After a data leak: block PESEL, block cards (828 828 828), enable BIK Alerts.
Talking to Parents: How to Discuss This
Seniors are often embarrassed by attempted fraud and frequently do not report it – so instead of scaring them, agree on the principle: “any phone call about money you consult with me, at any time – I will never be angry”. Send parents materials from official campaigns (the police, UOKiK, ZUS, and KRUS run a joint campaign “Senior, don’t be fooled”; ZBP publishes warnings on the “Safe Banking” site). And an important legal note: guardianship is not a tool for protecting against fraudsters – it is a drastic, multi-month court procedure that removes independence; limits, powers of attorney, and alerts achieve protective goals without it. More on supporting aging parents is covered in the guide on caring for parents from abroad, and on daily assistance – in the guide on helping family in Poland.
Minimum Plan for One Evening (Remotely): (1) Call parents and establish a family password + the principle “we consult every phone call about money”; (2) guide the parent through blocking PESEL in mObywatel; (3) set low transfer limits together in banking; (4) save in the parent's phone: 112, 828 828 828, and your number as “FIRST CALL HERE”; (5) during the next visit: power of attorney for the account and BIK Alerts for the family.
Sources
| Source | Type | Status / Credibility |
|---|---|---|
| Police: scams via video calls (21.07.2026) | Official communication | Primary source – latest warning |
| Police: “police officer” and “grandchild” scams – rules and cases | Official communication | Primary source (quoted rules) |
| gov.pl: block your PESEL number | Official service | gov.pl |
| BIK: BIK Alerts and family packages | Official institution | Credit Information Bureau (prices 2026) |
| Card Blocking System (828 828 828) | Official service | ZBP / NBP |
| CBZC: how to report cyber fraud (evidence list) | Official site | Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime |
| CERT Polska: fake SMS messages and number 8080 | Official site | CERT Polska / NASK |
| gov.pl: reporting suspicious SMS messages to CERT | Official site | gov.pl |
| ZBP: Safe Banking (spoofing, remote desktop, warnings) | Industry organization | Polish Bank Association |
| Penal Code Article 286 (fraud) | Legal act | Text of the law |
| Local Government Portal: police statistics on “legend” scams | Press | Quotes data from KGP (May 2026) |
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