Moldovan parliament sets up inquiry committee on phone, online scams: damages exceeding 270 million lei

The parliament has established an inquiry committee, which will examine the phenomenon of telephone, financial and digital fraud in Moldova, as well as the effectiveness of measures to prevent and combat these crimes. A draft decision to this effect was adopted by 61 MPs.

The initiative comes on behalf of a group of MPs from the Our Party faction, and the commission is made up of 11 members representing all parliamentary factions. It will be chaired by MP Lilian Carp.

The commission will examine the scale of telephone and online fraud, the reaction time of the competent institutions, the effectiveness of mechanisms for blocking and recovering suspicious funds, as well as any potential vulnerabilities in the protection of personal data.

At the end of the investigation, within 30 days, a report will be presented with proposals to improve criminal legislation, create fast-track mechanisms for blocking suspicious transactions, establish a compensation system for victims and strengthen interinstitutional cooperation in combating fraud.

Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu said that the state must act more actively in preventing scams and emphasized the need for an integrated approach involving public institutions, the banking sector and telecommunications operators.

“As regards telephone scams, it is obvious that the state must undertake proactive measures. We need better communication, information campaigns and the involvement of the National Bank, the Interior Ministry and the media. I believe the situation will improve, as we communicate more with citizens. At the same time, critical thinking is needed. We must verify information, ask questions and not provide money or personal data to strangers. We will also discuss with mobile operators. Just yesterday we had such a discussion within the standing bureau,” Grosu said.

He noted that some of the frauds were organized from outside the country and advocated for international cooperation in combating these networks.

“A broad information campaign and closer cooperation with neighboring states will be necessary, as many of these fraudulent schemes are organized from outside the country. Some of these groups operate in neighboring states, while other similar networks are active on the territory of Moldova. That is why, international cooperation is needed to identify and sanction the people involved,” the speaker added.

Grosu also warned about the risk of abusive collection of personal data and urged citizens to be cautious.

“We must be careful about how we provide our personal data. Many organizations, economic agents or even political parties collect data in various campaigns, and sometimes this information ends up in the wrong hands. I advise citizens to stay vigilant. The National Bank does not call depositors to ask for data or money. If you receive such calls, verify the information, talk to relatives, and do not make hasty decisions,” Grosu further stated.

On June 12, the commission for economy, budget and finance and the commission for national security will hold public hearings on the prevention and combating of telephone and online fraud, with the participation of law enforcement institutions and operators from the telecommunications and banking sectors.

Official data shows that, in 2025, damages caused by online fraud exceeded 270 million lei, and in some recent cases losses of millions of lei have been documented for individual victims, with the phenomenon increasingly taking on an organized and cross-border character.