A Romanian man, nicknamed the “Prince of Dubai” by the police, was arrested in the Polish capital after he was caught while setting up a roadside scam, targeting drivers with fake gold and jewelry, the TVP website writes.
The 27-year-old man was caught after police spotted him dressed in a suit, behaving aggressively towards a driver in the Ursynów district of southern Warsaw.
When they stopped to intervene, they discovered that the man was trying to extort money from the victim by pretending to be a rich Arab.
A police spokeswoman said: “The man claimed he had no money for fuel and that his funds had been blocked. To lend credibility to the story, he posed as a wealthy individual traveling between Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and London. He claimed he only needed temporary help, offering jewelery believed to be valuable – gold signet rings and chains – as collateral for the loan. To make the story credible, he presented himself as a wealthy traveler traveling between Dubai and London, but the jewelery turned out to be made of a worthless metal alloy called tombac, also known as 'fool's gold'.
It added that “in reality, his actions consisted of misleading the victims about the value of the donated jewelry and, in this case, attempting to extort €5,000 from the victim.”
Similar incidents
Police later linked similar incidents, describing a pattern of roadside scams in which he targeted passing drivers.
In one case in mid-March, on the S2 ring road in Warsaw, he convinced a driver to drive him to a gas station, offering him a ring in exchange for a small sum. During the trip, he allegedly stole 1,700 zlotys (400 euros) from the driver's wallet.
Police said the suspect may have committed similar scams not only in Poland, but also in other parts of Europe, including France and the Netherlands.
Prosecutors charged him with fraud, attempted fraud and theft. A court in Warsaw ordered his preventive arrest for a period of three months, pending the continuation of the investigation.
He risks eight years
Under Polish law, fraud is punishable by up to eight years in prison, while theft is punishable by up to five years. Police said the investigation is still ongoing and they expect more victims to come forward as the case gains more visibility.
🚨 “Książę z Dubaju” zatrzymany w Warszawie
27-letniego obywatela Rumanii, podejsanego o kradzież i oszustwo oraz usiłowanie oszustwa, zatrzymali policjanci z warszawskiego Ursynowa. Mężczyzna podający się za persono zamożną pozożującą between Dubai and the United Emirates… pic.twitter.com/LDSYBBpJ9I
— Policja Warszawa (@Policja_KSP) April 9, 2026
