General Inspectorate of Police launched information campaign today

Chisinau, Nov. 2 /MOLDPRES/- The General Inspectorate of the Police (IGP) launched today an information campaign - Be Careful! Use payment cards safely!

According to the head of the Computer Crime Investigation Department, Iurie Roșca, as part of the action, the population will be informed about the importance of safe browsing on the Internet and the risks on the use of electronic means of payment.

"During 2021-2022, we received hundreds of notifications on the embezzlement of financial means from bank cards. As a result of the illegal actions, tens of millions of lei were appropriated, therefore it is necessary to inform the citizens about the precautionary measures. Bank cards are personal payment instruments, therefore we urge the population not to disclose their personal codes to anyone. At the same time, this information should not be sent by SMS or by phone to dubious persons", said Iurie Roșca.

The source urged the population to be cautious in the case of online transactions. "When we make an electronic payment we have to make sure that the site we are transferring to is a secure one. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, citizens began to use these payment methods more often, thus the number of crimes also increased. Unfortunately, scammers contact people in various ways, pretend to be representatives of banks and ask for their personal data, which they use to steal money. Most often, the victims of the perpetrators are people from the countryside or students. This year, the number of crimes decreased a little, but it remains at a fairly high level," he said.

The information campaign is carried out at the national level. At the same time, more than 100 police officers were trained on fraud in this area to offer support to citizens in risky situations.

According to the legislation, the person found guilty of theft or fraud risks from three to seven years in prison, depending on the amount of material damage caused.