The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) confirmed on 24 September 2026 that Polish police in Łódź arrested a suspect caught “red-handed” while using forged foreign passports to claim almost PLN 1 million (EUR 215,000) in subsidies from Poland’s flagship Clean Air programme. Investigators say the man created at least 14 synthetic identities—presented as Moldovan and Ukrainian nationals—to exploit a loophole allowing grant applicants without Polish tax residency. The case has immigration-compliance overtones: to secure the subsidies, the perpetrator allegedly obtained provisional PESEL numbers (the national ID) by submitting counterfeit lease contracts and employment letters. Municipal officials who issued the numbers are now under internal review for failing to verify authenticity with the Ministry of Interior’s new Document Verification System. Corporate-mobility managers should expect tighter scrutiny when seeking PESEL registration for legitimate foreign employees. The Digital Affairs Ministry told EPPO it will accelerate its plan to cross-check all applications against the national foreigners’ register, a move that could lengthen processing from three to five business days but reduce fraud risk. Law firms advising inbound talent applaud the clean-up but warn of short-term disruption. “Any backlog in PESEL issuance effectively blocks employees from signing e-contracts or accessing public health insurance,” notes Monika Baran of Warsaw-based firm ExpatLex. Companies are urged to schedule registration appointments early and maintain paper backups of key HR functions until the digital link stabilises. The Clean Air fraud bust also feeds into a wider EU debate on balancing digital convenience with identity security—an issue set to resurface when the bloc finalises regulations on the European Digital Identity Wallet next spring.
