I was scammed on an apartment rental in Gdańsk: Step-by-step guide

This is the most important point. If the transfer has just been made, there is a shadow of a chance that it has not yet left your bank as part of the ELIXIR session.

• Call the bank’s hotline: Don’t write in chat, don’t send emails. Call immediately. Tell the consultant the formula: “I have been a victim of fraud, please immediately block the last transfer and implement a fraud complaint procedure“.
• File a complaint: The bank will register the application. If you paid by card (e.g. via a link), request the Chargeback procedure. If it was a traditional transfer, the bank will try to contact the recipient’s bank in order to block the funds in the “pole” account (the person for whom the scammer opened the account).
• BLIK? If you have provided a BLIK code, the chances are minimal, but reporting to the bank is necessary for later police procedures. The bank must know that the transaction was not your mistake, but the result of a crime.

Step 2: Securing Digital Evidence (Before the Scammer Deletes the Account)

Scammers delete ads and Facebook profiles immediately after receiving the transfer. You need to act faster.

• Take screenshots of everything: The entire conversation on Messenger/WhatsApp, the content of the ad (even if it has expired, you can often see a thumbnail), the scammer’s profile.
• Keep your transfer confirmation: Download a PDF file from electronic banking. There is the recipient’s account number and the name of the bank – this is crucial for the police.
• Record Voice Calls: If you’ve recorded calls or have voice messages, keep them safe on an external drive.
• IP address and links: If the scammer sent you a link to a fake website (e.g. imitating OLX or Booking), copy this link. This is a clue for police experts from the cybercrime department.

Step 3: Visit to the police in Gdańsk – Where and how to report?

Don’t go to the nearest small police station in the district if you want the matter to move quickly. In Gdańsk, it is best to go to units that have the most experience in this type of matters.

• Municipal Police Headquarters in Gdańsk (8 Nowe Ogrody Street): It is located close to the Town Hall and the Court. This is where reports of large-scale fraud are most often reported.
• Municipal Police Headquarters in Gdańsk (8 Nowe Ogrody Street): It is located close to the Town Hall and the Court. This is where reports of large-scale fraud are most often reported.
• Police Station (6p Platynowa Street, Orunia Górna): If the fraud concerned the southern districts of Gdańsk.

What to take?

• A printed transfer confirmation.
• Printed screenshots of the conversations.
• The phone from which you were talking (can be secured as evidence).
• ID card.

Important: Request a confirmation of the submission of the crime report on the spot. You will need it to send the scan to the bank – without it, the bank may close your complaint.

Stolen identity – What if you sent a photo of your ID?

This is the most dangerous aspect of fraud. If the scammer has a photo of your ID card (under the pretext of “preparing a contract”), he can take a “payday loan” on you or open an account at another bank for money laundering.

• Reserve your ID in the mObywatel system: Use the “Reserve Proof” option immediately.
• Restricted documents system: Go to the website of your bank or any other bank and ask for the proof to be entered into the database of the Polish Bank Association. This will block the possibility of taking a loan in most financial institutions.
• BIK (Credit Information Bureau): Create an account on BIK.pl and purchase “BIK Alerts”. You will receive an SMS when someone tries to take a loan on your data.
• Replacement of ID: Even if you have not lost it physically, report it to the office (e.g. to the Residents’ Service Team at 74 Partyzantów Street in Wrzeszcz) that your data has been leaked. You will get a new document with a new issue and series.

Reporting on platforms and warning others

The Gdańsk student community is strong. Help others not fall into the same trap.

• Submit a profile/ad: On Facebook, OLX or Otodom, use the “Report Fraud” option. These platforms have systems that can block the IP address of the scammer.
• Facebook groups: Write a warning post on groups such as “Visible and Invisible Rooms – Gdansk” or “Apartments/Rooms Gdansk – Rent”. Enter the initials of the scammer, the account number (partially hidden) and the address of the apartment he gave (e.g. 10 Chmielna Street). Scammers often use the same “fake” apartment for many weeks.

What are your chances of getting your money back?

Let’s be honest: the statistics aren’t favorable, but that doesn’t mean you should let go.

• If the funds have been blocked in the “pole” account: You have a good chance of getting a refund, but it will take months (prosecutorial procedure).
• If the money went to Revolut or cryptocurrencies: The chances are close to zero.
• Civil action: If the police establish the identity of the perpetrator (which happens more often than you think), you can apply for compensation in a criminal trial. You don’t need a separate lawyer then.

Advanced trace protection

Scammers are adept at removing traces, which is why in 2026 the police and prosecutor’s office require more than just a screenshot from Messenger. If you want your report to the Gdańsk headquarters to be “armored”, follow the steps below:

Saving Email Headers

If the correspondence with the alleged owner of the apartment at Polanki Street took place by e-mail, the screen content alone is not enough. Each email has a hidden header that contains the IP address of the server from which it was sent.

How to do it? In Gmail, click on the three dots next to the reply button and select “Show original.” Copy all the content and save it as a text file. For an IT expert at the Provincial Police Headquarters in Gdańsk, this is key evidence to track down the perpetrator, even if he used a VPN.

Archiving the Listing Page (Wayback Machine)

Scammers remove ads on OLX or Otodom immediately after receiving the transfer. If the ad is still hanging, copy its URL and paste it into the Wayback Machine (archive.org) or archive.is. This will create a permanent digital proof that the scammer won’t be able to remove even if they delete the offer from the portal.

Don’t delete a conversation – Export it

Many scammers in a fit of anger delete the chat with the scammer. Never do this. On WhatsApp, use the “Export Chat” (with Media) option. This will generate a file that is much more difficult to challenge in court than individual graphics that can be manipulated in Photoshop.

How do I force a refund without a lawyer?

Most people think that after reporting to the police at Nowe Ogrody Street, their role ends. This is a mistake. You need to actively participate in the process to see your money realistically.

Article 46 of the Criminal Code – Your Greatest Ally

When the police track down the fraudster (or the “pillar” to whose account the money went), the case will go to the prosecutor’s office (e.g. the District Prosecutor’s Office of Gdańsk-Oliwa or Gdańsk-Śródmieście).

Key Step: You must submit a written request for compensation for damages. This way, if the fraudster is convicted, the judge will order him to return your bail in the same sentence. Without this application, you would have to set up a separate, costly civil lawsuit.

Status of the auxiliary prosecutor

As a deceived person, you have the right to become an auxiliary prosecutor. This allows you to view the case file, ask questions to the defendant and submit motions for evidence. In Gdańsk courts, rental fraud cases often end in suspended sentences, but the order for the return of money is enforced by a bailiff.

The “Secondary Deception” Trap – Be Careful Who You Hit Now

This is a phenomenon that has gained momentum in 2026. Scammers exchange their victims’ databases. If you’ve been fooled once, you can expect a call from:

• Law Firm”, which claims to recover money from housing fraudsters in Gdańsk for an initial fee.
• A Bank employee” who says that he sees your case and needs a BLIK code to “reverse the transaction”.
• A policeman” who asks for a transfer to a “technical account” to secure your remaining savings.

Remember: A real police officer from the Gdańsk police station or a prosecutor will never ask you for any payments in order to recover your bail. Each such request is another attempt at theft.

Local support in Gdańsk: Where to look for free help?

Local support in Gdańsk: Where to look for free help?

Student University Legal Clinic (SUPP) – UG

At the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Gdańsk (Bażyńskiego 6, Oliwa) there is a counselling centre, where senior students, under the supervision of professors, help write pleadings, applications to the prosecutor’s office and explain the meanders of the law free of charge. This is the best place to professionally prepare a claim for damages.

Free Legal Aid (NPP) in Gdańsk

The City of Gdańsk runs NPP points, m.in. in the Gdańsk Benefit Center at Kartuska Street or in local neighborhood houses. There you can make an appointment for a 30-minute free consultation with a lawyer or legal advisor who will analyze your contract (even a fake one) and suggest further legal steps.

Psychological aspects of cheating: It’s not your fault

Fraudsters in 2026 use pressure techniques that are used in the special services – the so-called social engineering. They induce a state of fear of missing out on an opportunity and force the brain to go into emotional mode, shutting down logical thinking.

• If you feel ashamed or paralyzing stress, remember that bail fraud is “daily bread” in Gdańsk.
• Don’t let a sense of failure stop you from reporting a case. Scammers count on your shame – it builds their impunity.

Strategy for the future: How to “disenchant” the rental market?

After this traumatic experience, you will have to find another apartment. To be safe this time:

• Hire by certified managers: Professional rental companies in Gdańsk have offices, NIP and physical headquarters (e.g. in Wrzeszcz or Alchemia).
• Use card payments/przelewy24 system: If the portal allows it by paying by card, you have Chargeback protection. A traditional transfer is a “gift” for a fraudster.
• Verify “admin rent”: In Gdańsk, rents to communities are high. If the owner gives a price “with utilities” lower than the rent itself in SM Młyniec or SM Przymorze, it is a signal that he is lying.

Summary for the injured party: Your money is currently in the hands of the banking system or has already been withdrawn. Your task is not to “investigate” on your own, but to provide the police in Gdańsk with such precise data that the prosecutor can freeze other accounts linked to this fraudster. Act methodically, use free legal aid at the University of Gdańsk and never pay anyone for “helping to get it back” this money.

Questions of people deceived in Gdańsk

Will the police in Gdańsk take care of my case at all if I lost “only” PLN 1500 of bail?

Yes, the police are obliged to accept the report regardless of the amount. In Polish law, fraud (Article 286 of the Criminal Code) does not have the so-called threshold of negligible social harmfulness due to the amount – it is a crime, not a misdemeanor. Even if you have lost a PLN 500 advance, report it. Often your report is the tenth in a row to the same account number, which allows the prosecutor’s office to merge cases and give them a higher priority. In Gdańsk, the departments for combating economic crime are dynamic, and every “brick” in the form of testimonies helps to track down a criminal group.

I paid the deposit with BLIK to the “owner”, who showed me the apartment, but then disappeared. What now?

This is a classic “pole rental”. The scammer rented this apartment himself for days (e.g. through Booking/Airbnb) and pretended to be the owner. If you paid with BLIK, the money was probably withdrawn from the ATM within a minute of entering the code.

What to do? Check the location of the ATM where the withdrawal was made in the banking application. Provide this data to the police – ATM monitoring is the strongest evidence that allows you to identify the face of the perpetrator. The bank will not refund you this money because you authorized the transaction yourself, but your testimony can help you catch the “payer”.

The scammer sent me a photo of his ID card as a guarantee. Can I post it on the web?

Absolutely not. 99.9% of this proof belongs to another victim of the scam who sent their details to the same criminal a few weeks earlier. By posting these photos, you can destroy the life of an innocent person and expose yourself to a lawsuit for infringement of personal rights. Give this photo to the police – they will check if the document is reported lost and reach its real owner, who may be a key witness in your case.

Is the bank obliged to give me back the money from the deposit if I have been scammed?

In the case of a voluntary transfer (you entered the data yourself and approved the transfer), the bank is not obliged to return the funds from its own pocket. This is not the case with unauthorized transactions (e.g. when a scammer has taken over your account). Your only chance at the bank is the complaint procedure and an attempt to block the funds in the recipient’s bank. If the recipient’s bank manages to “freeze” the money before the scammer withdraws it, you will be able to get it back once the investigation is complete.

How long does it take for the police to recover money?

Get ready for a marathon, not a sprint. Preparatory proceedings usually last from 3 to 6 months. If the perpetrator is identified and indicted, the case goes to court (e.g. the District Court of Gdańsk-Północ). The entire process until a judgment with an order for damages is obtained can take from one to two years. It is crucial that at the interrogation stage you file a motion for the offender to compensate for the damage under Article 46 of the Criminal Code.

I’m ashamed to report it to the police, because I was foolishly fooled. Does it make sense?

Fraudsters are professionals in manipulation, they often use social engineering developed over the years. You’re not “stupid” – you’re a victim. Shame is the greatest ally of criminals, because thanks to it they remain unpunished. In Gdańsk police stations, such reports are accepted every day. Police officers have already seen fraud worth hundreds of thousands of zlotys – your case is a standard procedure for them. By reporting this, you are protecting the next students who may be the next victims of the same man.

If you’ve just lost money, take a deep breath and follow these 4 steps in order:

• Bank (Hotline) – immediate blocking attempt.
• Screenshots – archiving evidence before it disappears.
• BIK / mObywatel – protection against loans on your data.
• Police (Nowe Ogrody Street) – official announcement.

Remember, Gdańsk is a city of solidarity – don’t be afraid to ask for legal help in free legal advice offices (they often operate at universities or in city points, e.g. in ECS). Your quick action is your only chance to get your money back and punish the scammer.