19 Phone Scam Cases Reported in Moldova in 24 hours, Losses Exceed 2 Million Lei

Police in Moldova have registered 19 cases of phone-related fraud over the past 24 hours, resulting in damages exceeding 2 million lei. Authorities note that the number of attempted scams across different regions of the country remains high, moldpres.md reports. According to police, four of the reported cases occurred during the past day, while the others took place earlier but were reported only recently. The largest loss was recorded in Chisinau municipality, where a 64-year-old man lost over 500,000 lei. The victim withdrew money from her bank account and handed it over to scammers in two installments after being persuaded to make the transfers. During the same period, authorities managed to prevent 375 attempted fraud cases thanks to citizen vigilance and police intervention, highlighting both the scale of the phenomenon and the increasing activity of criminal groups specializing in such schemes. Police are warning about a rise in fraud conducted through fake investment platforms. In these schemes, victims are convinced to invest personal savings or even take out loans, lured by promises of quick and guaranteed returns. The most affected regions include Chisinau and Balti municipalities, as well as Ungheni district. Law enforcement agencies remind the public that representatives of financial institutions and state bodies never request money transfers to unknown persons and never ask for banking details via phone or messaging apps. To avoid becoming victims, citizens are advised to carefully verify any information received by phone, message, or online applications, and not to transfer money to unknown individuals or unverified investment platforms. They are also urged not to take out loans at the request of individuals promising fast and guaranteed profit, and to immediately contact law enforcement if they suspect an attempted scam. Police stress that caution and verification remain the most effective tools for preventing fraud, as criminals continue to use increasingly sophisticated methods to extract money from victims.