Police warn against fraud on Orlen shares. Recently, a 51-year-old resident of this poviat reported to the Poviat Police Headquarters in Gorlice, who lost over half a million zlotys. A man, encouraged by an advertisement on Facebook, wanted to invest in the shares of the Płock concern.
The police informed in a press release that on August 19 this year. a man came to the Poviat Police Headquarters in Gorlice to testify that he had been defrauded in the amount of PLN 543 thousand. zloty. The fraud was supposed to take place the day before.
Scam on “Orlen shares”
It all started with advertising the alleged “Orlen” campaigns on Facebook. Due to the fact that the man became interested in the advertisement, he set up an account on the required application, where he also provided his phone number and email. According to the officers, after a few days the 51-year-old was contacted by a man who introduced himself as an employee of an investment company that helps to invest money in “Orlen shares”.
“Then a link with the account number to which the investment profits were to be transferred to the applicant’s e-mail was sent. After entering the link, the AnyDesk application (for remote control of the device desktop) appeared” – we read. Then – as the officers informed – the interlocutor ordered the aggrieved party to log into his bank account, enter the account number he provided and the transfer details and attach them to trusted recipients.
In the next steps, the fraudster was to instruct the inhabitant of the Gorlice poviat “to change a few more settings in the banking application, not log out of the banking system and turn off the computer and phone, and accept the transaction, about which he was informed by the banking application”.
As we read in the police statement, later in the conversation, the criminal, wanting to take the victim’s time and make the banking operations credible, ordered him to check the profit data of the company that invested in “Orlen shares” and “company resolutions” in which he was to invest, about the “capitalization of the company” .
Police warn
According to the information provided by the officers, the entire conversation between the 51-year-old and the alleged employee of the investment firm lasted over 3 hours. As we read, it was only after that time that a resident of the Gorlice poviat realized that something was wrong and logged into his bank account from another computer.
“Then it turned out that all funds disappeared from his account and were transferred in a dozen or so transactions to the account previously provided by criminals. When the reporting person realized that he had been defrauded, he called the bank to block his bank accounts and the transactions carried out” – it was indicated.
Police warn to not to provide anyone with login details for electronic and mobile banking and confidential data regarding payment cards. You should also not install additional software, e.g. AnyDesk application, on devices from which you log into electronic banking.
“If you receive a transfer from an unknown sender, under no circumstances transfer the funds, even if ‘your adviser’ asks for it – you may be involved in the crime unknowingly” – the officers emphasized. “Do not be tempted by the vision of quick profit” – they added.
PKN Orlen also warns against the actions of criminals. “False advertisements guaranteeing allegedly very high and certain profits appear primarily on Facebook, YouTube, numerous websites, in mailings, text messages or online advertisements” – we read on the website of the Płock concern. As emphasized, these announcements unlawfully use the name and trademarks of state institutions, state-owned companies or images of related persons.
Main photo source: Shutterstock