Scam Alert: Scammers are always looking for new devious ways to steal hard-earned money.
This shocking story reveals how a highly skilled fraudster managed to trick both the honest seller and the honest buyer in a machine trade.
The scam alert was so perfectly orchestrated that the victim lost €75,000 in a heartbeat before realizing the devastating truth. To this day, he has not been identified by the police. Let’s uncover how this nightmare unfolded.
Take a few minutes to thoroughly understand the scammer’s modus operandi, as it applies to similar crimes in many countries—it could save you from a significant financial loss.
Step 1: The Perfect Setup – A Real Seller and a Fake Buyer
A legitimate Polish company, “Seller OK Poland”, listed a high-value used machine for sale on a trusted local online market. This company did not have its own website.
A scammer, for the purposes of this article, we will refer to him as Bad Guy, pretended to be a serious buyer from the Netherlands. He used a carefully crafted fake identity, for the purposes of this article, we will refer to him as “Buyer NL False.
Bad Guy manipulated the “Seller OK Poland”, asking for high-quality pictures and videos of the machine. After receiving a pro forma invoice from “Seller OK Poland”, he additionally demanded crucial documents, including:
- CE Certificate of Conformity
- Registration documents
- Approval certificates from Deutsche Bundesbahn
Bad Guy needed these documents for next step in his plan.
“Seller OK Poland” unknowingly played right into the scammer’s hands, sending all the requested materials. But Bad Guy never intended to buy the machine from “Seller OK Poland”—he was setting up his scam.
Step 2: The Fake Seller – Identity Theft at Its Worst. Scam alert!
Using the real seller’s “Seller OK Poland” authentic pictures and technical data, Bad Guy relisted the machine on a high-traffic international online marketplace for used machinery.
His ultimate goal? To scam an unsuspecting foreign victim—and he didn’t have to wait long. Soon, he was contacted by a serious German buyer, for the purposes of this article, we will refer to him as “Buyer OK DE.”
Identity theft was his secret weapon.
Bad Guy stole the identity of honest Polish company “Seller OK Poland” and created a fake version – for the purposes of this article, we will refer to him as “Seller Poland False”. Since the real company “Seller OK Poland” had no website, Bad Guy registered a fake website with a similar name and email address, making himself look highly legitimate to “Seller OK Poland”.
Step 3: The Ultimate Deception – Playing Two Roles Like a Mastermind
“Buyer OK DE” was encouraged by the great price and immediately reached out to “Seller Poland False”.
At the same time, Bad Guy executed another dirty trick—he stole the identity of “Buyer OK DE“, creating a fake buyer profile, for the purposes of this article, we will refer to him as “Buyer False DE”.
Using a fake email and phone number, he then contacted the real Polish seller, “Seller OK Poland”.
At this point, Bad Guy had full control of the scam:
To the real Polish seller (“Seller OK Poland”): he pretended to be the German buyer (“Buyer False DE“)
To the real buyer (“Buyer OK DE”): he acted as the Polish seller (“Seller Poland False)”
Step 4: The Clever Inspection Trick That Sealed the Deal
“Buyer OK DE” wanted to make absolutely sure the machine was real and in sound technical condition before purchasing.
To eliminate any doubts, he paid for an independent machine inspection by a well-known and reputable company, for the purposes of this article, we will refer to it as “Inspektion OK DE.”
Bad Guy, acting as “Buyer False DE” cleverly reassured the real Polish seller that he would be sending an external inspector from company “Inspektion OK DE”—and the seller had no reason to refuse.
Since the Polish seller genuinely owned the machine, the inspection report confirmed everything was perfect.
However, the inspection only checked the machine’s technical and legal condition—it did not verify whether the contact details of the machine owner matched those of the fake seller.
With false confidence in the deal, “Buyer OK DE“ made the worst decision of his life—he proceeded with the next steps.
Step 5: The Heartbreaking Payment Trap – Scam alert !
Feeling fully convinced after the inspection, “Buyer OK DE“ decided to buy the machine. He received an official-looking invoice from Seller Poland False (Bad Guy).
To make the fraud seem more convincing, the invoice included the name of the seller’s company, “Seller OK Poland,” as well as the name of a “mule.”
A mule is someone who unknowingly helps criminals by opening a bank account for them. The bank would only accept the payment if the mule’s name was provided, because the account was in the mule’s name. At the same time, if the company name was missing, the German buyer might become suspicious and refuse to make the payment.
Since the invoice looked 100% legitimate, “Buyer OK DE“ sent a huge upfront payment of €75,000.
The bank saw nothing suspicious, as the account was legally registered to the mule’s name.
After receiving the payment, the money was instantly transferred to multiple offshore accounts and withdrawn in cash in coming days.
By the time “Buyer OK DE“ realized the devastating truth, Bad Guy was probably already celebrating his crime.
The Brutal Aftermath: Hard Lessons Learned
Both the Polish seller and the German buyer reported the crime to the police, but Bad Guy had vanished without a trace.
The money was long gone, and no one could track down the fraudster.
Scam alert ! How to Protect Yourself from This Nightmare
ALWAYS verify the seller’s identity. Don’t just trust an invoice—dig deeper and verify official records.
Beware of “too good to be true” deals. If the price is significantly lower than the market rate, it’s a red flag.
NEVER send money before confirming bank account ownership. Call the company directly and verify if the account belongs to the actual seller.
Inspect the seller, not just the machine. Make sure an independent inspector checks both the product and the seller’s legitimacy.Hire a trusted local expert. A small consultation fee can save you thousands and prevent endless stress.
Final Warning – Scam Alert: Stay Alert and Stay Safe!
This terrifying case proves how scammers create entire fake identities, websites, and email chains to pull off their dirty tricks.
These scams are on the rise, with organized crime groups from Eastern Europe (outside Poland) perfecting their tactics.
Scam alert news: From November 26 to 28, delegates from over 30 countries gathered in Lyon to summarize the five-month-long Operation Haechi V. Poland was represented by Inspector Bartosz Furgała, Deputy Commander of the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime.
The meeting aimed to exchange information and strengthen cooperation in the fight against financial fraud. This global operation, involving law enforcement agencies from 40 countries, territories, and regions, resulted in the arrest of over 5,500 suspects linked to financial crimes and the seizure of more than $400 million in virtual assets and national currencies (Link).
Scam alert reminder!
Fraudsters are highly skilled at covering their tracks, making them extremely difficult to catch.