On 12 June, Parliament held public hearings on current challenges and solutions for preventing and combating phone and online fraud. The event was organized jointly by the Committee on National Security, Defence and Public Order and the Committee on Economy, Budget and Finance, TRIBUNA reports.

During the hearings, MPs examined the scale of phone and online fraud in the Republic of Moldova, the effectiveness of current government measures and existing vulnerabilities. Discussions also focused on identifying solutions to strengthen citizen protection, including through improvements to the legislative framework.

The hearings were attended by:
• Alexandru Bejan, State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
• Viorel Cernăuțeanu, Head of the General Police Inspectorate
• Iurie Roșca, Head of the Cybercrime Combatting Center
• Andrian Munteanu, Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit
• representatives of cybersecurity institutions, the banking sector, telecom operators and relevant organizations.

Data presented by competent institutions show that phone and online fraud continues to grow amid rapid digitalization of financial and communication services. Between 2023 and 2025, the number of scams increased steadily, and in the first five months of 2026, complaints were about 19% higher than in the same period last year.

The phenomenon is evolving from isolated incidents to organized, including transnational, networks using call centers and fake platforms. The most common types of fraud reported between January and May 2026 were:
• fake banking security — 515 cases
• fraudulent investments — 310 cases
• fake contract or telecom service updates — 230 cases

Territorial data show a strong concentration of cases in Chișinău, which accounts for more than half of all reported fraud. The most vulnerable groups are:
• people over 66, mainly targeted by banking‑security scams
• people aged 56–65, frequently targeted by fake investment schemes

Law enforcement has recently documented individual damages reaching millions of lei and uncovered networks specializing in phone and online scams. Currently, the Police are handling 754 criminal cases related to phone fraud.

Participants highlighted intensified cooperation between the Police, the National Bank of Moldova, commercial banks, telecom operators and other responsible institutions — enabling faster information exchange, blocking fraudulent calls and messages, reporting cybercrimes and protecting financial service consumers.

Joint operations and public information campaigns have also been carried out. According to the data presented, over 80% of fraud attempts reported to the 112 Service were thwarted.

Participants stressed the need to update the legal framework, including:
• faster procedures for blocking suspicious funds
• stronger reporting mechanisms
• additional measures against fraudulent calls

After the hearings, the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee on phone, financial and digital fraud held a meeting to summarize the information presented. Based on its conclusions, the committee will prepare a set of recommendations and solutions to strengthen citizen protection against these crimes.

The inquiry committee was established by Parliament on 4 June. It consists of 11 MPs from all parliamentary factions and is chaired by Lilian Carp, head of the Committee on National Security, Defence and Public Order.