What to do if you have been scammed?
This is a guide for people who have fallen victim to dishonest brokers or other types of SCAMs.
Where to seek help
- Report the matter to the police/prosecutor’s office . Instructions can be found here: https://obywatel.gov.pl/bezpieczenstwo/zglos-przestepstwo
- If a dishonest company has received a photo of your ID card , passport or credit card , immediately block it and obtain a new one.
- If you paid your deposit using Visa or MasterCard, please use chargeback. This is available when other complaint attempts have failed. The procedure is outlined here: https://forexrev.pl/jak-odzyskac-pieniadze-placac-karta-chargeback/
- Report the suspicious domain and company to CERT – https://incydent.cert.pl/
- The ” Crime Victims Assistance Network” is a network of facilities located throughout the country, established by the Ministry of Justice, which provide including free legal, psychological and social assistance. The list of addresses can be found here (link).
- If you’re having trouble with the chargeback process or your situation is unusual, you can seek help from the Trader’s Rights Ombudsman at the Trading Jam Session Foundation at [email protected] . More information about this institution can be found here (link).
- If fraudsters have secretly withdrawn money from your account or taken out a loan in your name, inform your bank immediately. You have the right to request a refund and a write-off of your repayments. The bank is obligated to process your complaint by the end of the next business day. More details are provided below.
Zapraszamy także do grupy zrzeszającej pokrzywdzonych przez nieuczciwych brokerów: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2368922039865323/. Przyjmujemy jedynie wiarygodne konta, aby nie pozwolić przeniknąć do niej oszustom.
Termination of the broker contract and proof for the bank
If you wish to request a refund through the chargeback procedure, you must have documentation confirming that you attempted to recover the funds from the broker. The best way to do this is to send a notice of termination to all the broker’s email addresses we have on file.
Here you will find a link to a sample letter ( download ).
Below is a short comment from our reader, nicknamed “0prawca”, who provided a sample letter:
I signed this letter with a qualified certificate and sent it to all the email addresses I had from Dowmarkets. In fact, I sent it solely to have a document for the bank (where I filed the complaint) confirming my willingness to recover the money I had invested incorrectly.
Poza tym warto zbierać wszelkie dowody w postaci screenów, maili, nagrań rozmów itp. dokumentujących fakt, że broker nie chce wypłacić naszych środków lub pokazujących, że broker dopuścił się oszustwa.
How can I check if someone took out a loan in my name?
Use the services of the Credit Information Bureau – https://www.bik.pl/klienci-indywidualni
For a small fee you can:
- pobrać raport na temat swoich kredytów (link),
- uruchomić monitoring SMS (link), który będzie informował o nowych kredytach,
- lub włączyć pełen pakiet raportów i powiadomień na najbliższy rok.
Co zrobić jeśli z mojego konta zniknęły pieniądze?
If someone makes an unauthorized transfer from your account , your bank is obligated to return the money. As soon as you notice a lack of funds in your account, follow these three steps as soon as possible:
- poinformuj swój bank, policję oraz zespół cert.pl, przez stronę – www.incydent.cert.pl,
- weź zaświadczenie o zgłoszeniu sprawy na policji,
- zażądaj zwrotu środków od banku.
The bank can only refuse you if it proves that the owner of the account is responsible for sending the funds or if you do not report the theft immediately after it is discovered.
If neither of these cases apply , the money must be returned within one business day. The bank will likely refuse, but then you must file a complaint, which can take up to 15 business days to process. If the bank rejects your application again, the Financial Ombudsman is the last resort, and can help in such cases. More information can be found at rf.gov.pl.
Please do not consider the above information as legal advice. We suggest you contact a lawyer or legal advisor for specific advice.
