Scammed by an exchange office?

At the counter

The first minutes decide everything.

Do not leave the counter

Do not step away from the window under any circumstances. Many exchange offices state in their terms that complaints are not accepted once you leave the counter. As long as you are standing there with the money and the receipt in hand, you are in the strongest position you will ever have in this case.

Say clearly what you want

Calmly and firmly tell the cashier that you do not accept the transaction because you were misled about the rate, and that you want your money back. Add that if you are not refunded, you will call the police (112) and file a complaint with the National Bank of Poland (NBP) — the institution that directly supervises exchange offices and can inspect them.

The sentence above is in Polish on purpose — just show it to the cashier on your phone screen. It says: “I do not accept this transaction, I was misled about the rate. Please return my money. Otherwise I am calling the police at 112 and filing a complaint with the National Bank of Poland.”

Document everything

• Keep the exchange receipt (proof of purchase/sale). It is the single most important document in the whole case.
• Take photos and record video: the rate board from the street and inside, the counter, the conversation. Capture what misled you — e.g. a hidden or unreadable sell rate, or exotic-currency rates displayed next to $, €, £ symbols.
• Write down: the full name of the office, its tax ID (NIP, usually on the receipt), the exact address, date and time, and — if possible — the cashier's name.
• If there are witnesses (other customers, travel companions) — ask for their contact details.

Can the office actually give the money back?

Formally, a currency exchange is complete the moment it is carried out, and the office may refuse to reverse it. In practice, dishonest offices know exactly what they are doing — and it is often cheaper for them to refund you than to have their counter blocked, the police called, and complaints filed with the NBP, the consumer protection office (UOKiK) and the city hall. Exchange offices are particularly afraid of the NBP, because it directly supervises and inspects them.

If you have not left the counter (or very little time has passed and you have not gone far), and you consistently start reporting the case, there is a real chance you will get your money back “for the sake of peace and quiet”. No refund on the spot does not end the case — go to step 02.

Where to report it

Authorities say they receive few complaints — because nobody knows where and how to file them. Here is the full list.

The more institutions receive the report, the harder it is to ignore. The generator below prepares a separate letter for each recipient you select — each with a “cc” list, so every authority knows who else has been notified.

Complaint generator

Fill in the fields and this page will prepare an official letter ready to print and sign. The letter is generated in Polish — the language in which Polish authorities process complaints — and you will get an English summary of what it says. Everything happens in your browser: no data is sent or stored anywhere.