Hundreds defrauded in North Macedonia by crypto scheme tied to Bitola woman

Hundreds of citizens in North Macedonia say they were lured into investing in cryptocurrencies through a fake online platform and lost money instead of receiving the promised returns. Police have identified two suspects: a 56-year-old woman from Bitola and a 38-year-old citizen of Estonia.

According to investigators, the pair operated from December last year to April this year, using a mobile application and a channel with several hundred subscribers to persuade people to put money into cryptocurrency investments that never paid out.

How investigators uncovered the fraud

The Sector for Computer Crime and Digital Forensics at the Ministry of Interior says it received five formal complaints from victims during the period, but bank and transaction records indicate that "hundreds of citizens from the country" were harmed and that most did not report the crime. The sector provided that statement to police investigators.

Police carried out a months-long investigation that involved cooperation with multiple domestic and foreign institutions and the exchange of information. The 56-year-old woman from Bitola underwent an informative interview and electronic devices used for communication through the app were seized. Forensic analysis of the seized devices produced evidence of the scam.

Through an analysis of crypto transactions and with the assistance of international security platforms, investigators say they obtained complete information about the owner of the crypto wallet linked to the scheme. A criminal complaint for fraud has been filed against both suspects with the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Bitola.

The Ministry of Interior warns that this type of online fraud is on the rise and urges citizens to be cautious and not to trust offers that promise easy and fast profits on the internet.

Emilija Misirlievski

Photo: press material from the event