Three employees of a city hall forged the signatures of vulnerable people and collected the money due to them

Three employees of the Chiuza City Hall, Bistrita-Năsăud county, were detained for 24 hours after a series of searches carried out on Friday in a case concerning heating aid fraud. The women are to be presented to the magistrates on Saturday, with a proposal for preventive arrest.

The funds were intended for vulnerable people

The investigators of the Economic Crime Investigation Service determined that the three women, aged between 54 and 58, would have constituted an organized criminal group that, for over a year, would have diverted funds intended for vulnerable people, according to ProTV News.

The investigation shows that, between October 2024 and January 2026, female employees forged the signatures of heating aid applicants and collected the money on their behalf. In some cases, applications were submitted on behalf of people who were entitled to help but had never applied for the support. In others, identities of people who were not even eligible were used.

On the payrolls, the investigators claim, the signatures “beneficiaries” were counterfeit, and the amounts were appropriated by the three employees.

Damage of almost 280,000 lei

The estimated damage in the file amounts to 279,560 lei, money paid by the institution in the period 2024-2026. The sums should have reached people with low incomes, eligible for heating aid.

Investigations are ongoing to establish the full extent of the fraud and possible complicity.

The magistrates are to decide on Saturday whether the suspects will be placed in preventive detention during the investigation.