The police warn about mobile phone messages informing that the addressee has won property or considerable amounts of money. Most of the times these tempting messages are a trap used by swindlers.

A message received by a reporter of IPN on the mobile phone said: “Metro International awarded you €10,500 + a plasma TV set Samsung. Details on the phone number 0040758848356. Program between 9am and 9pm.“

The call to the given number was answered by a machine, saying a consultant of the company Metro International will soon respond. A man told the reporter that the prize is offered within a draw held on the occasion of opening a new store. The prize will be taken after the winner opens a bank account with €650 in it, which represents a tax for transferring the €10,500.

IPN contacted Adina Tamplaru, head of Corporate Communications METRO Cash & Carry Romania, on the phone number of the company’s head office indicated on the official website of Metro International Bucharest. She said that no such draw was held and Metro never uses such a method to inform about a prize.

Contacted by IPN, the head of the Chisinau Police Division’s press service Adrian Jovmir said the tempting SMS messages are a trap intended for persons who want to gain something easily and those who are not informed often fall into it. Such messages are considered swindles and the culprits face jail terms.

Adrian Jovmir warned against calling the phone number from which the SMS message was sent or that indicated in the message and against asking for explanations from persons who sent the message. Those interested should directly phone the mobile phone carrier providing the given number and ask if a draw or another event with prizes was held.

During investigations, it was established that such messages were sent by prisoners, who asked transferring a sum of money to a phone number in exchange for a product. The police urge the persons who became victims of such swindles to call them. A criminal case is started if the damage caused is higher than 500 lei. The minimum penalty for such offenses is up to three years in jail, while the maximum one is 8 to 15 years behind bars.

According to the police, the number of swindles by SMS messages decreased significantly compared with the previous years and this is mainly due to the mobile phone carriers that repeatedly warn the subscribers to be attentive to all kind of tempting messages.