Czech student scammer arrested before exam: over CZK 10m in losses

Czech police have detained a young man linked to more than 75 cases of fraud and damage of over 10 million crowns. He was picked up right in front of his university building a few dozen minutes before a state exam, police report.

The “safe account” scheme

It all started with ATMs. A fake “banker” would convince trusting people that their account had been hacked and that the money had to be moved urgently to a “safe” account. Once the transfer went through, the young man stepped in: he collected the money from that supposedly safe account.

University studies take time, especially before state exams. To keep up, the student began to train new couriers, who fleeced unsuspecting people in the same way. Commissions flowed to him from his subordinates as well.

How he was tracked down

Police officers who handle economic crime worked on the courier’s case for several months. Once they had worked out the suspect’s daily routine, they caught him at the university building: after the exam he was planning to leave the country. During the operation, his flat and two sports cars were seized.

“The couriers he trained weren’t afraid of anything at all: they happily posed for photos with freshly withdrawn cash and posted everything on social media,” police spokesman Jan Rybanský said of the young man’s “business”.

Calls from “bankers” are nothing unusual

Phone scams like this have become very common lately. It all begins with a call from an unknown number: the caller introduces themselves as a police officer or banker and insists that someone is trying to use your account or personal data, or to take out a loan in your name.

Read also: How to transfer money to and from Czechia in 2026: services, fees, timing

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz