A 23-year-old man in northwestern Poland faces up to eight years in prison after hundreds of unwanted food deliveries were ordered to strangers' homes, including one request for 300 pizzas.
The suspect was arrested at his home following an investigation into what authorities are treating as a case of harassment, according to a report by Euronews. He is also suspected of stalking, identity fraud and causing substantial financial losses to restaurants.
Orders placed in victims' names
The orders were placed using other people's names and were made payable on delivery. That left unsuspecting recipients opening their doors to couriers carrying food they hadn't requested and expecting them to hand over the money themselves.
Most of the food was supposed to be delivered in the city of Szczecin, but orders were also placed in Warsaw, Kraków and Wrocław. More than a dozen incidents were recorded in those cities combined.
Costly and threatening orders
One order alone was worth more than 37,000 złoty, or around £7,350. Another called for a kitchen-stretching 300 pizzas. Fortunately for the business, that mammoth order didn't make it into the oven. Restaurants sometimes rejected requests that were too large to prepare within the specified time, according to investigators.
Other businesses weren't so fortunate and were left with rather hefty losses from unpaid orders. The orders also carried a much more sinister topping. Authorities say some included detailed information about the intended recipients which could only have been known to them or those closest to them.
Police investigation and arrest
Police have said that the victims were left feeling threatened and tormented by the apparent intrusions into their private lives. Certain delivery notes reportedly referred to abducting a child, setting fire to a notary's office and deliberately causing a road accident.
Officers from Poland's Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime worked with investigators from Szczecin's municipal police headquarters to identify a suspect. The operation was supervised by the District Prosecutor's Office in Szczecin.
Police detained the man during a raid on his home, although they're yet to release his name publicly. Electronic devices and data carriers that may have been used to place the orders were seized for examination.
He has been remanded in custody for two months while the investigation continues. Authorities haven't disclosed what they believe motivated the campaign. The suspect hasn't been convicted and the case against him has yet to be heard in court. If found guilty of the offences under investigation, he could receive a sentence of up to eight years.
