Authorities in Poland have uncovered a large cybercrime operation following a 2-year investigation conducted jointly across Poland and Germany, leading to charges against 11 individuals accused of stealing more than 100,000 social media login credentials.
Police officers from the Białystok Board of the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime said the organised group operated between May 2022 and May 2024. Investigators described the network as a structured criminal enterprise responsible for hundreds of offences rather than isolated fraud incidents.
In total, the suspects face charges linked to more than 400 crimes, including leading and participating in an organised criminal group, незаконally taking control of Facebook accounts and email inboxes, internet fraud, and money laundering. The charges were filed under multiple provisions of Poland’s Penal Code, including Articles 258, 267, 286, 269b, and 299. Authorities confirmed that 6 suspects have been placed in pretrial detention while legal proceedings continue.
According to investigators, the group used fake news websites designed to resemble well-known media portals. These pages displayed sensational headlines, including false reports about the death of famous personalities. Users clicking on these links were shown a fraudulent Facebook login page, where victims unknowingly entered their credentials.
Officials said the login information was intercepted immediately and later used for further criminal activities. During the investigation, authorities seized more than 100,000 compromised login credentials, highlighting the scale of the operation.
Prosecutors added that the scheme also involved financial crimes, including fraud linked to Poland’s BLIK payment system, where victims were allegedly tricked into authorising transactions using one-time codes. Assets worth 1,000,000 Polish złoty were seized and may be used to compensate affected victims.
Authorities have urged individuals to verify whether their data was compromised through a government portal and report incidents to investigators. Users have also been advised to change Facebook and email passwords, especially where the same credentials were reused.
The investigation remains ongoing as prosecutors prepare the case, describing it as one of the region’s most extensive cybercrime crackdowns in recent years.
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