Romanian and Moldovan authorities have dismantled a network of online financial fraud. Over a million lei damage
The authorities in Romania and the Republic of Moldova have destroyed a network of “investment scam”who defrauded over one million lei through fictitious investment platforms.
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“As part of a joint operative action carried out on February 17, 2026, the authorities of Romania and the Republic of Moldova implemented several home search warrants in a complex file regarding the commission of fraud crimes through the “investment scam” method, illegal access to computer systems and fraudulent financial operations. The operation was carried out by the policemen from the Computer Crime Combating Service – General Directorate of Police of the Municipality of Bucharest, with the support of IPJ Suceava, in cooperation with the specialized structures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, on the basis of a joint investigation team, under the auspices of EUROJUST, established between Romania and the Republic of Moldova“, the authorities sent in a statement.
Concretely, the police officers from the Computer Crimes Combating Service – DGPMB, with the support of IPJ Suceava, implemented two home search warrants within the Suceava municipality, at the offices of two commercial companies with regard to which there were indications that they had been used to launder sums of money resulting from the commission of fraud crimes through the mode of operation “investment scam”.
According to the cited source, the action was carried out as part of a joint operation with the authorities of the Republic of Moldova, in a context in which, simultaneously, on the territory of the municipality of Chisinau, four home search warrants were implemented at the addresses of some suspects regarding whom there were indications that they would have coordinated the activity of some operators from some call centers involved in committing the facts that are the subject of this criminal file.
“From the research carried out it emerged that, between 01.01.2025 – 08.30.2025, the authors, acting within call center type organizations, with actual headquarters on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, but who also acted outside the borders, recommended themselves as financial brokers, or representatives of private companies in the field of electricity or natural gas and consultants in financial investments”the statement also states.
The persons under investigation allegedly misled the injured persons, causing them to invest sums of money on fictitious online platforms.
In one documented case, a person was induced to invest the sum of 2,438 lei in an investment platform, to install the AnyDesk remote control application, under the pretext of facilitating the monitoring of the investment.
Later, the authors accessed the injured person's bank account without right and carried out, without his consent, five financial transactions totaling 226,600 lei, to several bank accounts controlled by them.
During the investigation, 15 victims were identified, damaged with more than 1,000,000 lei, being misled by means of call centers organized on the territory of the Republic of Moldova.
Thus, following the searches carried out on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, four people suspected of having coordinated the criminal activity carried out through call centers were found, and on the territory of Romania the searches were carried out in order to consolidate the evidentiary material regarding the financial links between a commercial company from the Republic of Moldova and two commercial companies from Romania, between which there are criminal economic relations.
As a result of the searches carried out by the Moldovan authorities, three luxury cars, bank cards, several mobile phones, computers, luxury jewelry, as well as financial means, namely amounts of 9,000 euros, 12,000 dollars and 18,000 lei, were seized.
“The criminal case is handled at the level of the General Directorate of Police of the Municipality of Bucharest – the Service for Combating Computer Crimes, under the coordination of the Prosecutor's Office attached to the Bucharest Court of Appeal, and investigations are carried out for the commission of the following crimes: fraud; fraudulent financial operations; illegal access to a computer system”the statement also states.
Following the operative relationship with the authorities from the Republic of Moldova, on 26.12.2025, the agreement was concluded regarding the establishment of a joint investigation team (Joint Investigation Team – JIT) between Romania – the Prosecutor's Office attached to the Court of Appeal Bucharest and the Republic of Moldova – the Hîncești Prosecutor's Office, Ialoveni Office.
The judicial and police cooperation was carried out between the Romanian Police – DGPMB – the Service for Combating Computer Crimes and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova – the General Inspectorate of the Police – the National Inspectorate of Investigations – the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime.
Authorities advise people not to provide bank details or access to online accounts to unknown persons, not to install remote control applications at the request of alleged financial advisers, to verify the authenticity of investment platforms before transferring sums of money, and to notify the authorities immediately if they suspect they have been the victim of fraud.
