Food supplement scam busted in Chisinau: 4 call centers raided, 6 people arrested
Six people – three men and three women, aged between 24 and 49 – were arrested in a large-scale scheme to fraudulently promote unauthorized dietary supplements. The products, of uncertain origin, including some expired, were brought, in part, from Odessa, Ukraine.
Law enforcement officers conducted 28 searches in four call centers in Chisinau, where over 80 people were active. According to the IGP, some of the operators involved were in Russia, which confirms the existence of a well-organized cross-border network, with branches in several states.
Under the coordination of foreign citizens, the operators falsely presented themselves as representatives of pharmaceutical companies and contacted people from various European countries by phone. Through manipulation techniques, they convinced them to give up prescribed medical treatments, in favor of unverified or counterfeit food supplements, promoted as miraculous treatments for diseases such as diabetes, cancer or psoriasis.
The fraudulent activity was supported by websites and advertisements promoting these products, which were subsequently delivered by courier companies.
Following the raids, law enforcement agencies seized mobile phones, accounting and identity documents, servers, computers, laptops, storage media and other relevant evidence. Almost 200,000 lei, over 15,000 dollars, 2,000 hryvnias, order lists, boxes of counterfeit supplements, packaging, seals and other materials used for product delivery were also found at the suspects’ homes.
Investigations continue to identify all individuals involved in the scheme, establish roles, conduct further searches and summon the operators for questioning as suspects.
