Financial fraud is rapidly becoming one of the fastest-growing threats in Montenegro as daily life shifts into the digital sphere. Phone and online scams—once rare—are now common, ranging from phishing messages and fake bank calls to sophisticated identity theft and emotional manipulation.
Cybersecurity expert Branko Džakula warns that modern technology allows criminals to imitate any phone number and even clone a person’s voice, making scams extremely convincing. Caller ID can no longer be trusted, and many citizens—especially the elderly—are vulnerable.
Rising number of incidents
Montenegro’s National CIRT recorded 751 cybersecurity incidents in 2023, up from 684 in 2022. Most cases involve phishing attempts, social-media scams and identity theft. Police have also reported repeated phone scams in which criminals falsely claim a family member has been injured and demand urgent payments.
Victims often suffer significant financial losses, emotional distress and loss of trust. Many cases go unreported, making the true scope difficult to track.
Most common scam patterns
Criminals typically use false identities—posing as bank employees, police officers, relatives or officials. Common schemes include:
- phishing emails and SMS messages mimicking banks or postal services
- fake prize winnings or inheritance notifications
- fraudulent online loans or investment offers
- emergency phone scams claiming a relative is hurt
- “romance scams” where fraudsters build emotional connections to extract money
Advanced scams now use AI-generated voice cloning, allowing fraudsters to imitate someone the victim knows.
Warning signs
Džakula highlights key red flags:
- pressure to act immediately
- requests for sensitive information (PINs, passwords, SMS codes)
- offers that seem “too good to be true”
- calls/messages from unknown or foreign numbers
- suspicious links or poorly written messages
- websites with slightly altered URLs
If any of these appear, citizens should immediately stop communication and verify the information through official channels.
What to do if you are a victim
Victims should:
- Stay calm and avoid responding emotionally.
- Preserve all evidence—screenshots of messages, emails, profiles, with visible dates and usernames.
- Block the perpetrator and report the content on the platform where it appeared.
- Contact the police or the Department for High-Tech Crime with the collected evidence.
- Seek support from someone they trust.
Role of institutions
Telecom operators are becoming more proactive, but Džakula stresses the need for stronger coordination between police, operators and media. Better public education—especially for the elderly and young people—is essential to combat the growing threat of digital fraud and online harassment.
