According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, identifying the perpetrators of such reports remains a serious problem. The impunity rate exceeds 95 percent: only one out of 29 cases was referred to court over the past year.
The ministry estimates that the damage caused to the state by a single false bomb threat can exceed 1 million lei. This applies, for example, to cases where such reports were directed against Chisinau International Airport.
1.6 Million PrepaidSIM Cards in Circulation
Authorities believe this phenomenon is linked, in part, to the widespread use of prepaid SIM cards. Currently, there are approximately 1.6 million such cards in active use on the national market, accounting for roughly 42.7% of all mobile connections. Most of them are sold through a network of more than 3,700 third-party retail outlets, where purchase and activation take place without verifying the user’s identity.
In addition to false alarms, anonymous numbers are often used in financial scams and phishing campaigns conducted via messaging apps. Over the past five years, losses from such types of fraud are estimated at up to 100 million lei.
New Rules for SIM Cards
In this context, as Logos Press previously reported, a bill has been drafted that would require mandatory identification of prepaid SIM card users prior to service activation.
The bill has already been approved by the government and is currently under review by standing parliamentary committees. A 12-month implementation period is provided for the bill to allow operators time to adapt their systems and internal procedures.
