Another case of telephone fraud was prevented thanks to vigilant citizens who contacted the police after suspecting something was wrong.
Last weekend in Cahul, a 62-year-old local resident nearly fell victim to scammers who persuaded him over the phone to take out a loan worth 900,000 lei. The transaction was stopped by the man’s wife, who contacted the police in time. Officers arrived at the scene while the loan agreement was being processed.
According to the General Police Inspectorate, the incident began with a phone call. An unknown person informed the man that a package had allegedly arrived in his name. Although the victim did not immediately react, subsequent events revealed that the caller was simply testing his response.
After a brief conversation, communication was moved to Telegram. The scammers then followed a familiar script: they introduced themselves as representatives of Moldova’s “Cyber Police” and the Security and Intelligence Service (SIS), claiming that the victim’s bank accounts were under threat.
The fraudsters then instructed the man to urgently take out a large loan in order to “protect his money.”
The 62-year-old went to a financial institution and had already begun filling out the paperwork. The turning point came when he called his wife. Upon hearing that nearly one million lei was about to be transferred following instructions received through Telegram, she immediately dialed 112 instead of trying to persuade her husband herself.
Police officers from the Cahul Inspectorate arrived and explained to the confused pensioner that he was participating in a carefully planned scam. The loan application process was halted. Total financial loss: zero lei.
Police confirmed that the scheme followed a pattern increasingly common in recent months: psychological pressure, instructions not to consult family members, and the impersonation of security agencies. The main sign that the callers were fraudsters was that all communication took place through Telegram.
According to law enforcement authorities, the number of scams involving messaging applications has increased significantly in 2026. Police remind citizens that they never contact individuals through Telegram or other messaging apps for official matters and never request loans, money transfers, or banking operations over the phone.
Authorities also note that such schemes often become more widespread during periods of political and economic uncertainty. In many cases, the perpetrators operate from outside the country, using phone numbers registered abroad. Officials acknowledge that tracing such calls is difficult and that international cooperation can be slow. Under these circumstances, citizen vigilance remains the most effective line of defense, a message repeatedly emphasized by both national and regional law enforcement agencies.
