Romania and Moldova report surge in fraud and exploitation

Law enforcement agencies in Romania and Moldova are reporting a surge in various criminal activities, ranging from digital fraud to severe human rights violations.

In Romania, DIICOT has detained two men, aged 51 and 71, for the sexual exploitation and trafficking of an 11-year-old girl in Bucharest. Separately, a 27-year-old soldier from Prahova has been arrested for the alleged rape and production of child pornography involving three minors. Economic crimes are also prevalent, including a 'Man in the middle' email scam in Alba Iulia that cost a company over 76,000 euros, and a case in Timiș where four individuals face trial for perjury regarding the fraudulent use of European funds.

In Moldova, the National Police documented six major fraud cases in a 24-hour period, resulting in losses exceeding 900,000 lei and 12,000 euros. One notable incident involved a 67-year-old pensioner who was defrauded of nearly 290,000 lei by individuals posing as National Bank of Moldova employees. Additionally, authorities are investigating two men in Chișinău and Vulcănești for large-scale money laundering after counterfeit euro banknotes with anti-fraud ink marks were detected in local ATMs.