In Chisinau, five persons suspected of fraud related to extorting money through phone calls pretending to be relatives in an accident were detained. The suspects’ ages range from 27 to 39 years old. They have been charged with a total of 8 offences of similar offences in the capital over the past month.
Police investigation revealed that each of the suspects played a different role in the criminal scheme. They posed as law enforcement officers, contacted relatives and, claiming that their loved ones had been involved in a road accident, demanded money to “hush up” the case. They communicated with potential victims by telephone. The sums requested ranged from €3,000 to €10,000, according to official police information.
The suspects were placed in custody for 20 days and under current criminal law, they could be sentenced to between 4 and 8 years in prison. Police and prosecutors are continuing their investigation to determine the possible involvement of others in the criminal scheme.
