Advance-Fee Scams in Poland
Classic 419-style fraud reaches Polish residents through email and social media with fabricated inheritance, lottery and business deal offers requiring advance fees.
Part of: Advance Fee Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Advance-fee fraud — 'oszustwo na zaliczkę' — remains prevalent in Poland despite broad consumer awareness campaigns by CERT Polska and UOKIK. Polish victims receive emails, Facebook messages and WhatsApp communications in Polish claiming they are the beneficiaries of unclaimed inheritances, international lottery winnings or business joint-venture proposals.
The scams are often timed to coincide with periods when financial pressures are higher — post-Christmas debt, tax season or economic uncertainty. Polish-language versions are increasingly well-written, with criminal groups employing native Polish speakers or high-quality AI translation to craft convincing narratives.
How this scam works on Poland
A 'notariusz' (notary) or 'adwokat' contacts the victim claiming to act for a deceased Polish emigrant who left a substantial estate and named a stranger as beneficiary. A modest advance fee is required for 'opłata sądowa' (court filing fees) or document translation.
Alternatively, the victim is informed they have won a prize in a European lottery they never entered — PayPal Lottery, Postcode Lottery or a European Commission grant. A fee is required to release the winnings before a deadline.
Each payment is followed by fresh obstacles — additional tax certificates, anti-money-laundering audits, customs duties — with escalating demands continuing until the victim stops paying.
Common red flags
- Notification of an inheritance or lottery win with no prior entry
- Advance fee described as 'opłata notarialna' or 'podatek celny' required before payment
- Sender uses a free email address rather than an official institutional domain
- Request for strict confidentiality from family or friends
- Each payment generates a new unforeseen requirement
- Promises of millions of złoty in return for fees of a few hundred
How to protect yourself
- Understand that no legitimate lottery requires advance fees from winners
- Verify any inheritance claim with a licensed Polish notary before any payment
- Never wire money to strangers regardless of the story presented
- Report suspicious emails to CERT Polska at cert.pl before engaging with the sender
- Warn older family members who may be less familiar with these schemes
How to report it
- CERT Polska: cert.pl — report phishing and advance-fee fraud
- Policja: policja.pl — official police report
- UOKIK: uokik.gov.pl — consumer protection authority
Frequently asked questions
Are there legitimate European lotteries that contact winners out of the blue in Poland?
No legitimate lottery contacts unsolicited winners by email and requests fees. If you did not purchase a ticket in a specific lottery, you cannot have won it. These messages are always fraudulent.