"I'm Tonin Marinaj, I need 40 thousand EUROS urgently", how the businessman was deceived by the "mayor of Tropoja!"

2026-01-12 10:47:47Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
"I'm Tonin Marinaj, I need 40 thousand EUROS urgently", how the
PHOTO: Tonin Marinaj

" I'm Tonin Marinaj, I have to make an urgent payment in Tirana, I need 40 thousand euros ," this is the message that arrived on the phone of a 55-year-old entrepreneur from Shkodra, on the Viber communication platform , created by six people, four of whom have already been arrested, who initially introduced themselves as the mayor of Malesia e Madhe, Tonin Marinaj.

Since the 55-year-old had social connections with the mayor, he believed the message and agreed to give him the requested amount.


The meeting point was set at the Rinas roundabout, where the entrepreneur from Shkodra handed over the money to people who presented themselves as the mayor's men.

After handing over the amount, the businessman attempted to contact the number presented to him as the mayor again on Viber, but received no response.

Under these conditions, he called his friend on WhatsApp, but this time on the number he had communicated with before.

This call revealed the scam he had fallen for. Despite this, he tried again to contact the people he had given the money to, who only gave him one response.

"Don't mess with us anymore, we're from SPAK."

These communications exchanged between the fraudsters and the businessman from Shkodra, as well as other evidence discovered by the investigation of economic and financial crime by the Tirana police, unraveled the scheme used, for which 2 people are still wanted.


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