Parliament votes in first reading to tighten penalties for fraud and counterfeiting of non-cash payment instruments

Chișinău, November 5, 2026 – Parliament voted in the first reading on a bill aimed at combating fraud and the counterfeiting of non-cash payment instruments. The legislative initiative seeks to align the national legal framework with European standards.

The authors propose amending and supplementing the Criminal Code in order to strengthen legal and criminal protection against the illegal manufacture and generation of non-cash payment instruments, both physical instruments (bank cards, USB devices, mobile phones, or smartwatches configured for contactless payments) and non-physical instruments (digital cards, QR codes and digital tokens).

The bill also provides for tougher penalties for these offenses. Thus, the illegal manufacture or generation, circulation, or fraudulent use of false or counterfeit non-cash payment instruments will be punishable, in the case of individuals, by a fine of up to 62,500 lei, up to 240 hours of unpaid community service, or imprisonment for up to five years. In the case of legal entities, the fine will be up to 250,000 lei, together with disqualification from carrying out a particular activity. The bill also provides for separate penalties for acts such as receiving or purchasing, transferring, importing, selling, or distributing illegally generated, counterfeit, or falsified non-cash payment instruments. The theft of a non-cash payment instrument will also be punished separately, even if it was not subsequently used.

The Criminal Code will also be supplemented with an article providing for penalties for producing, procuring, or making available devices, computer data, or other means designed or adapted to commit certain offenses involving non-cash payment instruments. For individuals, the proposed penalties are a fine of up to 67,500 lei or imprisonment for up to five years. In the case of legal entities, the fine will be up to 350,000 lei, together with disqualification from carrying out a particular activity.

At the same time, special investigative measures may be applied when investigating these offenses, such as monitoring financial transactions and conducting controlled purchases.

The bill aimed at strengthening the legal framework for combating fraud and counterfeiting related to non-cash payment instruments was drafted by the Ministry of Justice and will be examined by Parliament in the second reading. After adoption, the new legislative provisions will enter into force three months after publication in the Official Journal.