Two young men, aged 18 and 26 and originally from the left bank of the Nistru, have been detained by Ungheni police on suspicion of acting as “couriers” in an online investment scam, the Police of the Republic of Moldova announced in a video statement on Facebook. The victim — a 55-year-old woman from Ungheni — lost 436,620 lei.
How the scheme worked
According to the investigation, in May the woman was induced, through manipulation and breach of trust, to transfer large sums of money to unknown people under the pretext of investing on an online platform. Some of the money never passed through accounts, however: on 26 May, the two suspects allegedly collected the cash directly from the victim, in the city of Ungheni.
This is the “courier’s” role — the ground-level link in schemes of this kind, known internationally as a money mule: the organisers stay anonymous, hidden behind phones and fake platforms, while the money is collected in person by intermediaries, often young people recruited for small sums.
The woman reported the case to police on 6 June. Through a joint operation by Ungheni police, the National Public Security Inspectorate and the Anenii Noi Police Inspectorate, the two suspects were identified and detained.
Footage from the detention, released by the Police of the Republic of Moldova.
What the police found
During the searches, the following were found on the suspects and seized:
- 13,400 lei in cash;
- four mobile phones;
- bank cards;
- a Honda car.
The two men were detained for 72 hours. The investigation continues in order to establish all the circumstances and identify other people involved in the scheme.
Until a final court ruling, both men are presumed innocent.
A phenomenon emptying accounts across the country
The Ungheni case is no exception but part of a wider wave. According to the IGP’s Centre for Combating Cybercrime, more than 1,750 online fraud cases were recorded in 2025, with total damage of 270 million lei — more than double the figure for 2024, when around 1,100 cases were recorded and damage reached 130 million lei.
Fake investment scams are, according to police, the most widespread type: victims are contacted by supposed “financial advisers” or lured through social media ads, increasingly featuring AI-generated clips and voices that imitate banks or public figures. In October 2025, the IGP launched the national campaign “Stop Fake Investments” precisely to warn about these methods.
How to spot a fake “investment”
The police’s advice, in short:
- Guaranteed returns do not exist. A promise of quick, sure profit is the first warning sign.
- Do not install remote-access apps (AnyDesk, TeamViewer) at the request of a “consultant” or “bank employee”.
- Do not share personal or banking details over the phone or through links received on social media.
- Check the platform: a genuine investment company is licensed and can be verified with the National Bank or the NCFM.
- Money demanded in cash, through a “courier”, is not an investment. No legitimate platform sends someone to your door to collect money.
If you have fallen victim to such a scheme, report it to the police immediately — by calling 112 or directly at the Ungheni Police Inspectorate. In this case, the victim’s report led to the identification and detention of the suspects.
This article is based on the statement of the Police of the Republic of Moldova and official IGP data. We will return with details on the preventive measures ordered by the court and the legal classification of the acts once the procedural documents are available.