Fraud cases drop by over 10% this year as scammers target nearly €24 million

The number of reported fraud cases in Lithuania fell by 10.2% in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year, with scammers attempting to extract nearly €24 million from individuals and businesses, according to the country’s Money Laundering Prevention Competence Centre.

In the second quarter alone, fraudsters sought to defraud victims of over €13.1 million. Financial institutions managed to block €7.6 million of these attempts, but €5.4 million was still transferred to scammers, resulting in actual losses of nearly €5 million for individuals and companies.

Eglė Lukošienė, the centre’s director, noted that while financial institutions prevent many fraud attempts, technological solutions alone are insufficient. She emphasised the need for sustained cooperation between the financial sector, state institutions, law enforcement, and the public, as well as greater vigilance among residents.

Fraud activity increased by 14% in the second quarter, with 3,700 cases recorded. Fake SMS messages and emails remained the most common methods, accounting for 41% of all reported fraud cases—1,514 incidents, a 12% rise from the first quarter. Advance payment scams and investment fraud also persisted as frequent schemes.

For businesses, the highest risks came from email account takeovers and CEO fraud, where a single incident could result in losses ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands of euros. Though only about 5% of reported fraud cases involved companies in the second quarter, their losses exceeded €3 million, representing roughly a third of total losses.

The centre advises that at the first sign of suspicion, individuals and businesses should delay payments, verify requests directly with their bank or institution using official contact details, and report potential fraud to the relevant authorities.