Moldova Scams: Tourist, Online & Investment Fraud Guide
Common scams affecting residents and visitors in Moldova, with reporting routes through cybercrime.mai.gov.md and the police.
Emergency number: 112 (emergency) — verify on official sources.
Last reviewed: 1 August 2026
Moldova is a small Eastern European country with a growing digital economy and a fraud problem shaped by its huge diaspora: with a large share of families dependent on remittances from relatives working abroad, scams that intercept or impersonate that money flow — fake transfer-fee demands, hijacked messaging accounts begging contacts for urgent loans, and 'relative in trouble' calls in Romanian and Russian — hit especially hard. Phishing impersonates maib, Moldindconbank and other banks, and fake bank-security calls talk victims into approving payments or moving savings.
The everyday online layer runs through 999.md, the classifieds platform where most Moldovan second-hand commerce happens: fake 'buyers' send counterfeit courier payment links that harvest sellers' card details, fake 'sellers' take advance payment for goods that never ship, and rental listings collect deposits for flats the poster never controlled. Investment fraud advertised on social media through cloned news pages funnels victims to fake trading platforms, work-abroad brokers charge for EU jobs that never materialise, and task scams over Telegram escalate into deposits.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs operates a dedicated cybercrime reporting portal at cybercrime.mai.gov.md, with the national police and CERT-GOV-MD as additional channels. When money has moved, call the bank first — and warn family quickly when a messaging account is hijacked, because the contact list is the scammer's next target.
Common scams
- Phishing messages impersonating Moldovan banks
- Fake online marketplace listings with advance payment
- Romance scams escalating to financial requests
- Investment and crypto fraud via social media
Tourist-specific scams
- Unlicensed taxi overcharging in Chisinau
- Fake wine-tour operators with no delivery of promised experience
- Rental listings collecting deposits for flats the poster never controlled
Online shopping scams
- Fake delivery fee SMS impersonating courier services
- Social media shop scams with no goods delivered
- Account takeover via phishing links
Job scams
- Fake remote work ads requiring upfront registration fees
- Task scams via messaging apps paying small sums then demanding deposits
- Work-abroad brokers charging for EU placements that never materialise
Romance scams
- Long-distance relationship fraud with escalating money requests
- Dating-app grooming leading to fake crypto investment platforms
- Hijacked messaging accounts asking the victim's contacts for urgent loans
Investment scams
- Fake trading platforms promoted on social media
- Pig-butchering scams combining romance with fabricated investment portals
- Cloned news pages fronting 'guaranteed return' broker advertisements
How to report a scam here
- Contact your bank immediately to freeze affected accounts or reverse transfers
- Report cybercrime via the Ministry of Internal Affairs portal at cybercrime.mai.gov.md
- Contact the national police (Politia) at politia.md or call 112 for urgent matters
- For government-related cyber incidents also notify CERT-GOV-MD at stisc-cert.gov.md
Local reporting & protection links
Always verify reporting routes and emergency contacts on the official government or agency website for your country.
Bank & payment guidance
Contact your bank immediately using the number on your card or the official app, rather than any number or link that was sent to you. Request an emergency hold on the recent transfer, explain that you were deceived into authorising it, and ask for the receiving account to be reported and a reference recorded. For remittance-linked fraud, alert the transfer operator too — a pickup can occasionally be blocked before collection if you move fast. Obtain a police case number from cybercrime.mai.gov.md to support any formal bank dispute. If passwords or one-time codes were shared, ask about freezing the card and reset your online-banking access; card details entered on a fake courier page mean a reissued card and chargeback disputes.
Evidence to preserve
- Screenshot all messages, profiles, websites and payment pages
- Save transaction references, account numbers and crypto wallet addresses
- Keep emails with full headers where possible
- Note dates, times, names and phone numbers used
Frequently asked questions
How do I report online fraud in Moldova?
Use the dedicated portal at cybercrime.mai.gov.md run by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. You can also call 112 and ask for police assistance, or file a report at any local police station. For government-sector cyber incidents contact CERT-GOV-MD at stisc-cert.gov.md.
What are the common 999.md scams?
Sellers receive links from fake 'buyers' claiming a courier needs card details to deliver the payment — the page charges the card instead — while fake 'sellers' take advance transfers for goods that never ship, and rental listings collect deposits for flats the poster doesn't control. Keep deals inside the platform, refuse external payment links, and view any property in person before paying.
How are Moldovan families abroad targeted?
Fraudsters hijack messaging accounts and ask the diaspora relative's contacts for urgent loans, or call families claiming a relative abroad is detained or hospitalised and needs an immediate transfer. Verify through a second channel — a direct call to the relative's known number — before sending anything.
Sources
- National police and cybercrime portals (verify on official sites)
- FTC / Action Fraud / Scamwatch consumer guidance