My loved one didn't show up and the account was cleared. The injured are numbered in thousands [PODCAST]

The 71-year-old donated PLN 214,000 in tranches. PLN to a fake oilman in Turkey. The alleged manager of a mine in Cambodia extorted PLN 173,000 from a 51-year-old woman. PLN, and a 72-year-old lost a quarter of a million because he fell in love with a non-existent doctor from Japan. All three of them fell victim to a romance scam – one of the cruelest Internet frauds.

Airport workers know this sight all too well: a lonely person with flowers waiting in the arrivals hall for someone who will never show up. They are waiting for Brad Pitt, an American soldier, a war reporter, an engineer from an oil platform or a doctor from a humanitarian mission. The list of roles played by criminals is long. “He promised that he would end his service, come to Poland and spend the rest of his life with me in Grójec,” one of the victims testified to the police.

In October, a 71-year-old resident of Krakow reported a loss of over PLN 200,000. zloty. For several weeks, she financed her “lover” who allegedly worked on an oil platform in Turkey. The money was to cover the repair of the machine's engine, which would allow him to finish the contract faster and come to Poland. In turn, in Głubczyce, a 70-year-old man reported to the police after his wife had cleared their joint account of PLN 70,000. PLN, wanting to help a love I met online.

There are many examples. Although all financial theft is painful, romance scams are especially painful. Victims lose not only their life savings, but also their trust in people and self-confidence. There are thousands of injured people – both seniors and very young people. Criminals prey on their victims on social media and dating apps.

It is a mistake to think that only naive people are victims. Research shows that these are often naturally distrustful people who reject the first advances. However, subjected to long-term social engineering manipulation, they enter into relationships that last for months. During this time, criminals build the illusion of closeness to ultimately deprive the victim of money and often persuade him to take out loans. The Chinese, considered masters of this practice (often linking it to fake investments), called this technique pig butchering.

We invite you to listen and watch the podcast with Paulina Krakowska, cybersecurity expert at PKO BP. Every day, she meets with clients all over Poland, educating them about the methods used by criminals. Victims of “love” fraud very often contact the expert. This requires a lot of courage from them, because these stories are associated with great shame and pain – as in the case of the old lady who, while waiting for her “soldier from America”, bought a new bed and rearranged the entire apartment.

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