Eurojust Backs Romania and Moldova in Major Phishing Fraud Money-Laundering Crackdown

Eurojust Backs Romania and Moldova in Major Phishing Fraud Money-Laundering Crackdown

(IN BRIEF) Eurojust coordinated a major cross-border operation in Romania and Moldova against a phishing fraud network that had been active since at least 2013. In joint actions today, authorities searched 44 locations, targeting the subgroup responsible for opening fraudulent bank accounts with forged Romanian IDs to launder approximately EUR 20 million stolen from 30 identified victims. Eurojust established and financed a joint investigation team in March 2025 and aided in executing European Investigation Orders. The operation involved Romania’s DIICOT (Galați) and Moldova’s PCCOCS, with the support of Eurojust’s Liaison Prosecutor network.

(PRESS RELEASE) THE HAGUE, 13-Jun-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Eurojust has played a pivotal role in a coordinated operation today targeting the concealment and laundering of phishing fraud proceeds in Romania and the Republic of Moldova. Across a joint action day, authorities executed searches at 44 sites in both countries. A number of suspects have been identified and will be interrogated by the respective prosecution services in the coming days. Eurojust facilitated the creation of a joint investigation team (JIT) and underwrote its operational costs.

The dismantled organised crime group (OCG) operated professionally from call centres in Moldova, defrauding victims throughout the European Union. Comprised of Romanian, Moldovan, Ukrainian, and Italian nationals, the network harvested personal data to extract bank account details and reroute funds into accounts controlled by its members. Investigators have so far identified thirty victims, with total losses estimated at EUR 20 million.

Today’s searches focused on the cell responsible for establishing multiple bank accounts—often opened using forged Romanian identification—to launder illicit gains. Funds were shuffled through a labyrinth of accounts and financial platforms to impede detection, then converted into cryptocurrencies and circulated between digital wallets.

Authorities trace the group’s criminal operations back to at least 2013. In November 2022, Moldova’s Prosecutor’s Office for Combatting Organised Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS) launched in-depth investigations. Eurojust supported the formalization of the JIT in March 2025 and assisted both Romanian and Moldovan authorities in executing European Investigation Orders. Moldova is one of twelve nations with a Liaison Prosecutor at Eurojust, alongside Albania, Georgia, Iceland, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Participating Authorities

• Romania: Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), Galați Regional Structure
• Moldova: Prosecutor’s Office for Combatting Organised Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS)

Media Contact:

Eurojust Press Team
Phone: + 31 70 412 55 00
media@eurojust.europa.eu

SOURCE: EUROJUST