Two suspects detained in Poland over alleged EU-funded IT training fraud

20 September 2026 , 11:46

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Two suspects detained in Poland over alleged EU-funded IT training fraud

At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Katowice (Poland), two suspects were detained on Monday, in an investigation into subsidy fraud and attempted subsidy fraud involving EU-funded IT training for older people. 

The suspects are representatives of a company providing training courses. Between December 2024 and June 2025, they organised IT training for older people to help them use computers and the internet safely, including raising awareness of online safety issues. The training was co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF), under the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027. 

According to the rules established by the paying agency, the Marshal’s Office of the Łódź Region (Voivodeship), participants in the training were required to pay a fee.

However, to encourage prospective participants to enrol in the training courses, the suspects allegedly offered them tablets and provided them with “donations” equivalent to the fee they were required to pay. The participants then used this money to pay the registration fee, creating the appearance that they had paid the fee themselves, while it had been covered by the suspects – thus effectively defrauding the paying agency, in order to obtain EU funding.

The suspects received approximately €10 000 (PLN 46 800) from the paying agency  and requested the payment of over €300 000 (PLN 1 311 550) for the training sessions concluded, but the payment was put on hold when the financing authority was alerted to the method of recruiting participants. 

The two individuals were charged with subsidy fraud and attempted subsidy fraud. They were released and put under police supervision and were also required to provide a financial guarantee of €16 200 (PLN 70 000) and €4 700 (PLN 20 000) each. 

The investigative measures were carried out by the Provincial Police Headquarters in Łódź (Komenda Wojewódzka Policji w Łodzi). Searches were conducted at the residence of the suspects, and documentation and IT devices were seized. 

All persons concerned are presumed innocent until proven guilty in the competent Polish courts of law.

The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.

James Smith

Editor-in-Chief