Former Moldovan presidential candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo comments on the impunity enjoyed by call centers.
Just a few days ago, Chișinău rolled out the red carpet for agents from the FBI and the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service. According to official statements, they arrived to strengthen cooperation in the fight against transnational fraudulent call centers.
“Our message is clear: there is no safe haven for fraudulent operations,” American representatives declared at the time.
And here is the result: over the past 24 hours, Moldovan police have registered five new cases of phone and online fraud. The total damage amounted to 1,643,728 lei.
The most high-profile case occurred in Chișinău: a 75-year-old pensioner handed over 990,000 lei to scammers — her entire life savings. She received a call from individuals posing as employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Security and Intelligence Service, who convinced her to hand over the money to a courier. In another incident, a 42-year-old resident of the Anenii Noi district lost 127,000 lei after trusting fake bank employees.
People are losing their last savings, while the authorities remain passive. So why did the FBI agents actually come? Officially — to “fight call centers” that victimize citizens on both sides of the Atlantic. But perhaps those who noted from the very beginning were right: the Americans are far more interested in fighting Russians than scammers. Maybe that is why they came? After all, Moldovan law enforcement already knows perfectly well where these call centers are located — on the other side of the Dniester. Yet for some reason, they do nothing to neutralize the criminals.
Alexandru Stoianoglo, speaking on the program “On the Edge,” did not mince words:
“If even 10% of the information about fraudulent call centers appearing on Telegram channels is true, then a criminal octopus is operating in this country. But such an octopus cannot exist without the protection of law enforcement agencies. Impunity does not arise on its own. We are talking about millions of dollars. Colossal sums. Colossal money.”
The former Prosecutor General and ex-presidential candidate tears the official version to shreds — the claim that the authorities simply “cannot cope” with the scammers. According to him, the scale of the criminal networks and their impunity directly indicate that they have a “roof” — protection — within the law enforcement system.
Stoianoglo also warned against the dangerous justification of crimes on the grounds that the victims are not Moldovans but foreigners:
“Some say: ‘It’s foreign money.’ Such an approach is a dangerous justification of crime. It does not matter where the victim is — in Moldova, America, or Australia. No one has the right to encroach on another’s property. Those who profit from fraud and build fortunes on it must be held accountable by law.”
He added:
“Look, if we think that way, it is not just ignorance — it is a very serious psychological syndrome. We simply cannot allow someone to steal from someone else. Why? Because these are inherently punishable acts. They are illegal. And if someone gorges themselves on this, amasses fortunes, buys whatever they please — these people must be prosecuted under the law.”
Meanwhile, the police once again remind the public: government employees never demand money, banking information, or security codes over the phone. But while law enforcement limits itself to warnings and avoids taking real action, the scammers continue to reap their bloody harvest — under the “protection” Stoianoglo speaks of and under the watchful eye of the FBI agents, whose visit, by all appearances, has changed absolutely nothing.
