Multi-million online fraud in Polog: reported damage over 9.3 million denars, experts warn caution

The internet has become an inseparable part of everyday life, but with the expansion of its use the risks of fraud are also growing, as Racin reports in a piece by author Maja Peroska, produced within the framework of Lokal Aktiv. Data from SVR Tetovo show that this problem has not bypassed Polog either.

In the territory of Tetovo, up to September 25, 2026, in the last two years nine cases connected with internet fraud have been recorded — eight in 2025 and one in 2026 — while the total reported material damage for 2025 and 2026 reaches 8,945,926 denars; the high amount is explained by the fact that some of the victims were legal entities. In Gostivar, in 2025 two internet frauds with bank accounts were recorded and in 2026 four more; three cases of damage and unauthorized access to computer systems were also registered, with total damage of 412,606 denars. In total, for the whole Polog region (Tetovo and Gostivar) the material damage reported from computer and internet fraud in this period exceeds 9.3 million denars, while all procedures before the competent prosecutor’s offices are currently being conducted against unknown perpetrators.

The most frequent forms, as Racin reports, are the false presentation of business partners, false advertisements on social networks, “phishing” fraud and the misuse of bank data. IT expert Dejan Stanojević warns that fraudsters mostly “play” on human curiosity and the desire for profit — messages about a phone won, cheap offers or links that ask for personal data. Warning signs, according to him, are poor translation, grammatical errors, overly aggressive advertisements and suspicious links, while his advice is not to share personal data on any website, except when it is valid — usually state institutions or banks — and never to share the personal identification number, date of birth, place of residence or private phone number.

Minors are the most at-risk category: psychologist Ana Marija Blažeska stresses the role of parents with constructive supervision and continuous conversation about content, aiming to create the trust for the child to inform the parent openly. The immediate steps for someone defrauded, according to experts: change the compromised passwords, contact the bank if card data were shared, and report the suspicious profile or content.