Chisinau pensioner loses €130k to WhatsApp ‘witchcraft’ scam
A 74-year-old pensioner from Chisinau lost over €130,000 (approx. 2.56 million MDL) after fraudsters convinced her that her son was in imminent danger and required magical rituals to protect him. The victim filed an official complaint with the Ciocana District Police Department on June 2.
The scammers initially contacted the elderly woman via the WhatsApp messaging application, posing as clairvoyants.
The perpetrators convinced her to hand over her life savings of €96,000, claiming the money was "charged with negative energy" and required a specialized "purification" ritual. According to the suspects, this process would shield her son from harm.
The criminals later contacted the victim again, falsely claiming that the purged funds had been blocked at customs. Under this pretext, they manipulated her into transferring an additional €28,000 via international money transfer systems to individuals located in Ukraine and Armenia.
The final transaction took place on May 25, when the woman sent an additional €7,000.
"As a result of the criminal actions, the victim suffered a total material damage worth 130,723 euros," the General Inspectorate of Police stated.
According to law enforcement authorities, this case is part of a massive, coordinated fraud wave. In a span of just 12 days, between May 20 and June 1, scammers managed to steal over 27.2 million MDL (approx. EUR 1.38 million) from Moldovan citizens.
During this brief period, authorities registered 149 distinct phone scam cases and 2,911 fraudulent attempts.
Police reports indicate that fraudsters operate predominantly on business days. This strategy allows them to exploit the victims' immediate access to banking and credit services.
The General Inspectorate of Police urges citizens to exercise maximum caution and never disclose banking details, verification codes, or confidential information via phone or text messages. Authorities advise the public to verify the identity of any callers through official channels before contracting loans or transferring funds.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
