A Romanian police officer has warned people to “be cautious” after an online scam targeted the countrys citizens and businesses.
Police in the Romanian capital Bucharest say the scam, which targets individuals and businesses, is a new trend, and the government has launched an investigation.
Authorities say the victim of the scam told police that he received an email message in March that included a picture of a man who appears to be posing as a police officer.
He said he did not want to respond and sent the email to another address, where it was shared on social media.
The scammer asked for a $100 payment to help cover the cost of the picture, but the victim never received the money, police said.
The victim told police he then contacted police, who in turn notified the Romanian national ID card company, which then contacted the police, the police said in a statement on Monday.
The Romanian National ID Card Authority (RNIA), a Romanian government agency, said it received the email about the scam from a third party, and sent an official notice to the scammer.
The agency said the scam has affected around 30,000 businesses and individuals, and a large number of businesses have reported receiving the scam.
The RNIA also said there have been cases of scams involving personal details of Romanian citizens.