Moldovan fraud call centre of 180 operators dismantled in multinational operation

A joint operation by the authorities of the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Ukraine, supported by Europol and Eurojust, has dismantled a large phone‑banking fraud network operating from Moldova. The ring, estimated to involve about 180 call‑centre operators, targeted customers of banks in the European Union—most victims were Romanian. Police raids were carried out in Chișinău and Anenii Noi, with the Moldovan special police unit “Fulger” assisting. Operators pretended to be bank security staff, obtained confidential data and coerced victims to transfer money to accounts later moved to cryptocurrency exchanges or gambling platforms to hide the proceeds. Investigations continue to assess the total financial loss.

Financial‑education experts warned that such scams have surged, noting a 21.7 % rise in reported fraud cases in the first five months of 2026 and a record 272 million lei in losses reported for 2025. They called for a national anti‑fraud focal point to improve rapid information sharing and protect consumers.