Moldovan General Police Inspectorate informs about massive attack of fake news on emails, calls for voting one candidate in exchange of money

Chisinau, 1 November /MOLDPRES/ - The police today informed about a massive attack of fake news received through emails and calls, with the urge to vote for a certain candidate in exchange for a sum of money on next Sunday.

According to the General Police Inspectorate (IGP), simultaneously with these messages, citizens receive calls and when answering them, the robot informs that those who vote for the same electoral contender will receive 1,500 lei each.

„The police took note, after it had registered thousands of cases in just one hour and has established the phone number and the country from which the calls come. Officers establish also the origin of the emails from which these messages are sent. We urge you to ignore both the messages and the calls, as they represent fake news and are aimed at denigrating the image of the concerned electoral contender,’’ IGP said.

In the context, an MP of the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), Radu Marian, denied the information, describing it as fake news.

„Some people started receiving fake news on behalf of PAS, alleging that the vote for Maia Sandu is to be paid and for this, they are asked to make a photo of the ballot paper. This is fake! Do not submit photos with ballot paper to anybody. Another email circulating is about the threatening that PAS would hold the personal data of the electors – and this is fake news too,’’ Radu Marian wrote on a social network.

The lawmaker said that the police would be notified on these cases. ‘’We ask you to be vigilant and thoroughly verify the addresses from which you receive emails. Our official email addresses are only as follows: presa@maiasandu.pentru.md and info@unpaspentru.md,’’ Radu Marian also said.

The state’s institutions have earlier notified the citizens on more cases in which fake news was spread in public space. The law-enforcement bodies consider all circumstances of the cases.