Moldovan and Romanian call centers linked to financial fraud; organizers detained in a Eurojust-led operation
The organizers of call centers involved in financial fraud, which defrauded Romanian citizens of over one million lei, were detained in a joint operation between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, carried out under the auspices of Eurojust.
Following the searches, two of the three main suspects were detained, and the third is at large and cooperating with the investigation. In total, 26 people are accused, and assets and accounts worth over nine million lei are to be seized.
The group, active since July 2025, used remote access applications to control the victims' phones and induce them to make transfers on cryptocurrency platforms, including through loans from microfinance companies.
According to the police, the group's members misled several people, promising considerable profits from investments on online financial platforms.
Under the pretext of quick, substantial earnings, the suspects convinced the victims to install remote access applications on their mobile phones, thereby gaining full control of the devices. Subsequently, they created accounts on cryptocurrency trading platforms and induced the injured parties to make multiple transfers from their bank cards, including by contracting loans from microfinance companies.
Following special investigative measures, a call center operating in Chisinau was identified and carrying out fraudulent activities under the guise of online investments. The group's structure included operators, administrators, managers, and coordinators, each with well-defined roles within the criminal scheme.
The group included citizens from the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Turkey and Romania.
Between September and December 2025, several searches were carried out in call centers suspected of involvement in "investment scam" type computer fraud, as well as at the homes of individuals responsible for accounting and administration of commercial entities, and accounting documents, mobile phones, laptops, amounts of money in foreign currency, lease agreements for commercial premises, bank cards, cryptocurrency storage devices, luxury cars and IT equipment relevant to the case were seized.
The investigation established that the group's members used electronic wallets and cryptocurrencies to store, transfer, and conceal illegally obtained funds. The transactions were carried out through repeated conversions between various cryptocurrencies and successive transfers between digital wallets, with the aim of fragmenting the financial circuit and making it difficult to identify the money's route.
Blockchain analysis allowed the identification of significant financial flows and the establishment of links between the individuals involved.
In this context, information was exchanged through Europol to identify the injured parties and all members of the criminal group. The necessary evidence was accumulated, which led to the signing of a joint investigation team under the aegis of Eurojust, between the Republic of Moldova and Romania.
The Agency for the Recovery of Criminal Assets (ARBI) identified assets and bank accounts worth over nine million lei for seizure.
On February 17, searches were carried out at four residences of some organizers of documented call centers. Simultaneous search actions also took place on the territory of Romania, where a Ukrainian citizen involved in money laundering operations was searched, as well as a fictitious company opened in the name of one of the organizers.
During the searches, three luxury cars, bank cards, several mobile phones, computers, luxury jewellery, and financial means amounting to 9,000 euros, 12,000 dollars, and 18,000 lei were seized.
Law enforcement officers from Chisinau are to exchange evidence with their counterparts in Romania, identify all the victims of the group and take measures to recover material damages.
