BNM issues urgent warning on rising financial fraud in Moldova
The National Bank of Moldova (BNM) has issued an urgent advisory regarding a surge in sophisticated financial fraud. Malicious actors are increasingly leveraging IP telephony to mask their origin, appearing as official institutions to exploit victims.
Radu Habașescu, Deputy Director of the Payment Systems Department at the BNM, confirmed on May 29 that fraudsters are weaponizing new technologies. Recent tactics include cloning voices, spoofing official phone numbers, and conducting social engineering campaigns to steal personal data.
Financial losses have reached approximately €1.53 million (approx. 30 million MDL) over the past two weeks alone. Hundreds of residents have already been targeted by these scams.
Fraudsters often pose as bank employees or police officers. They frequently use high-pressure tactics, such as claiming the victim is under investigation or needs to "legalize" their savings to prevent financial crime.
The BNM emphasizes that banks will never request sensitive data or money transfers via telephone. Genuine institutions will not ask for personal codes received via SMS or identity document numbers under the guise of contract renewals.
If you receive a suspicious call, terminate the connection immediately. Use only official phone numbers found on the institution’s website or your bank card to verify any claims.
Should you detect unauthorized transactions, block your card immediately via your banking application. If you have already disclosed personal or financial information, contact your bank and call 112 immediately to report the incident.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
