Moldova police foil 87 scams as man loses €14,500
A 65-year-old Chisinau resident lost €14,500 (approx. 283,000 MDL) after fraudsters posing as public officials, banking representatives, and energy utility staff coerced him into taking bank loans.
The fraudsters convinced the victim that an unauthorized loan of approximately €6,650 (130,000 MDL) had been opened in his name, claiming the funds required urgent verification. To establish credibility, the callers impersonated staff from power distributor Premier Energy, commercial lender maib, the National Bank of Moldova, and the Information and Security Service (SIS).
Home couriers collect cash
After persuading the victim to take out several bank loans, the perpetrators instructed him to hand over the cash directly to unknown couriers who arrived at his residence.
The General Police Inspectorate reported that the victim formally filed a complaint on October 5, noting that no new phone scam cases were registered over the weekend. Meanwhile, heightened public awareness helped authorities intercept 87 other phone scam attempts before victims suffered financial losses.
Official warning against phone transfers
National police reiterated that legitimate banking employees, state institutions, and utility providers never ask citizens to hand over cash to strangers or transfer funds for "security checks."
Authorities urge the public to hang up immediately if they receive unsolicited calls requesting personal data, security codes, or money, and to report suspicious incidents directly to the 112 emergency line.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
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