The police said the messages, sent from various phone numbers, falsely claim to be from banking institutions and urge recipients to verify their identity within a short deadline, typically 24 or 31 hours.

The messages contain links to fake websites designed to trick users into disclosing sensitive information, including bank card numbers, online banking passwords and verification codes.

The police identified the scam as “smishing”, a form of phishing carried out through SMS messages that exploits customers’ trust in banks and the sense of urgency created by short deadlines.

The stolen information can then be used to access victims’ bank accounts without authorisation and carry out fraudulent financial transactions, the police said.

Authorities urged citizens not to click on links in suspicious messages, even when they display the name of a well-known bank, or disclose card details, passwords, PINs or verification codes on websites accessed through such links.

Citizens were also advised to disregard messages threatening restrictions on banking services unless their identity is verified within a specified timeframe, and to check suspicious communications directly with their bank through official channels.

Anyone who has entered banking details on a suspicious website should immediately contact their bank to block the card or account access and report the incident to the police.

The State Police stressed that the appearance of a bank’s name in a text message does not mean it was sent by the institution itself, urging customers to verify the sender and the web address before taking any action.

Cybercrime investigators are continuing efforts to identify those behind the scams, investigate the cases and prevent financial losses.

People who have received such messages or fallen victim to the schemes are urged to report them to the police and preserve the messages, sender phone numbers and links as potential evidence.

“Protecting your banking information starts with each of us. Do not click on suspicious links or share your financial details,” the police said.

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Speaking to reporters alongside Interior Minister Ervin Demo, Rama said the grievances prompting part of society to support the protests remained a priority for the government, expressing readiness to engage in dialogue with demonstrators to hear their proposals for addressing the issues.

“The demands, the reasons and, above all, the needs of that part of society calling for a stronger government response to the rising cost of living and concerns about merit-based promotion of human resources remain my and the government’s absolute focus,” Rama said.

He added that dialogue with protesters willing to articulate their concerns and propose solutions would be welcome. The government would soon present its overall response to what he described as a significant section of society seeking to make the authorities more attentive to their needs.

Rama warned that those who glorify, promote or carry out violence would face a sustained response from the state.

“Those who glorify violence, amplify it or engage in it must understand that just as the urban terror inflicted on Albania’s population, businesses and ordinary families was intense and prolonged, so too will the state’s response be sustained and persistent,” he said.

Rama also accused some individuals of exploiting public sympathy for students to incite violence and deepen religious divisions, invoking the Antifa movement in his remarks.

“Anyone who thinks they can bring the state to its knees is making a grave miscalculation,” he said, adding that those directly involved in violence would face criminal penalties, while those who glorify and promote it could face financial sanctions.

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During the extended meeting of the socialist parliamentary group, Rama underlined the need for the SP, first of all, with the responsibility of those who have the mandate to lead Albania, to read this story as accurately as possible in order to be better prepared for what comes next, because this is just the beginning.

Rama also spoke about the international reactions against this investment, while adding that millions of people who do not even know where Zvërnec is located, knew exactly what to think about Zvërnec.

“Their outrage was never rooted in a genuine analysis of Albania or the project’s documentation. Rather, they transformed the vulnerability of a bird into a convenient symbol for anti-capitalist and anti-Trump resistance. It became an outlet for blind anger—the perfect channel to direct their hostility toward me and the SP”, Rama added.

Rama emphasized that, “This is the first lesson of this history.”

The defining characteristic of our modern era is that local conflicts rapidly escalate into global crises. Global networks now transmit political, religious, and social prejudices, as well as falsehoods, far more efficiently than facts or context. Ultimately, algorithmic speed prioritizes emotion over evidence, rendering perception more powerful than objective truth.

“This is a cautionary tale. Not for this government, but for democracy in the era of algorithms. As leaders of Albania, we must learn from this history to prepare for the future—because this is just the beginning,” the prime minister emphasized. /a.g/p.s./

Cautioning  that users risk total loss of funds when dealing with unauthorized platforms, the financial regulator said in a statement on Wednesday that Netherex is a platform operating without a license, registration, or recognition to offer investment or virtual assets in the country.

According to AMF, under the national laws on capital markets and technology-based financial markets, no entity may offer trading or promote investment services in securities or trading in digital units and/or virtual currencies, within the territory of the Republic of Albania, without being licensed, registered, or previously recognized by the Financial Supervisory Authority.

“Any investment in such platforms may lead to the complete and irreversible loss of funds,” the AMF warned.

The financial regulator also emphasized that it cannot protect investors engaged with unregistered operators, urging the public to consult the AMF’s official registry of licensed entities before engaging in any financial transaction.

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“From the verifications of the Special Prosecutor’s Office so far, the messages claimed to be derived from the transcripts of conversations carried out through SKY/ECC have been manipulated by fabricating false conversations about individuals and illegal actions”, SPAK emphasized.

The Special Prosecutor’s Office also said that it is closely monitoring this situation and has started verifications to identify the sources of these messages in order to prosecute the perpetrators.

SPAK called on all citizens and public actors to be careful when interacting with messages of this nature, as well as to avoid the distribution of unverified materials.

head of the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party Gazment Bardhi appeared in SPAK a few days ago regarding his denunciation after the blackmails received on the Signal platform and the launch of investigations by the Special Prosecutor’s Office for extracting the SkyECC conversations.

After leaving SPAK, Bardhi said that he handed over his phone as part of the investigations, while he added that the documents that were sent to him were forged in order to intimidate and blackmail him. /p.s./

The Embassy said in a statement that “Let’s Talk Together About US24” group has no affiliation with the U.S. Embassy, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Education, our educational programs, or Embassy personnel.

“The U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service will continue to work with the Albanian State Police as it investigates the extent of this fraudulent scheme,” the U.S. Embassy said.

The U.S. Embassy urges all Albanians to be cautious of such scams and to contact the embassy if they suspect someone or an organization is misrepresenting themselves as affiliated with the Embassy.

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In his speech, Rama said that, “We have made progress in the economy, but the progress is insufficient because it is insufficient just to make a comparison with the past”.

“We must strengthen the economy and do the right things in the sectors where we know very well that there is a great potential so that to get more income for the country and for the people,” said Rama.

“We have made significant progress with justice, too. But we are well-aware that if the present-day justice has come out of the control of the executive power, this is an absolutely necessary premise for it to be strengthened and turned into a system that guarantees justice for all. However, it is far from being at the point where it can be considered a safe progress”, emphasized Rama.

“The economy, justice, or even Albania’s international position, which today is better than it has ever been in its history, may fall back to a ‘status-quo’ in the best case, i.e. backward, because meanwhile the others are moving too fast. And therefore, we need a strong Socialist Party that is aware of its significance and weight in the way the whole country works”, emphasized Rama. /p.s./

Kajari estimated that the security situation in the northern part has calmed down after the recent events adding that he expects the ongoing negotiations to result in an agreement.

“KFOR has established observation points and technical control points throughout the space. Also, we have increased the patrolling activity in the whole region. These measures are taken to be ready for any incident and for greater safety. If there are tensions, we will act according to our mandate”, said Kajari on RTK Prime.

He said that KFOR will not allow road barricades because UN resolution 1244 carries two tasks to KFOR in Kosovo, which he called major tasks: ‘To keep a safe area and order in Kosovo and to preserve the free movement for all citizens’.

“If barricades are created, this prevents free movement and if the agreement is not reached, then we will reach a moment where KFOR will have to act to enable freedom of movement”, added Kajari.

He asked all parties to refrain from unilateral actions and to negotiate and reach a political agreement for everything, since according to him “setting up barricades does not help to solve the situation”. /KosovaPress/p.s./

But, this initiative has been “misused” by some entities or private service offices which, contrary to the law, offer and advertise, for a fee, services with the e-Albania logo.

The Ministry of Finance and Economy reacted through a statement reading that e-Albania is a trademark registered ® by the National Agency for Information Society, therefore its use for commercial purposes is prohibited.

E-Albania is the government portal, where public services received by citizens or businesses in the offices and physical counters of institutions, are provided electronically.

“For this reason, the State Inspectorate of Market Surveillance is monitoring throughout the territory of the Republic of Albania to identify such entities, which are abusing by profiting illegally under the e-Albania logo,” said the Ministry of Finance and Economy.

According to the ministry, every action committed in violation of industrial property rights is punished by an administrative measure with a fine from 100,000 to 500,000 ALL, while in case of finding a repetition of the violation, the maximum penalty is doubled.

“Violation of industrial property rights constitutes a criminal offense and is punishable by a fine or imprisonment of up to two years,” warned the ministry./p.s./

Kim shared the message of President Biden’s nominee for Secretary of State, Tony Blinken.

“If you want to know whether this warning remains valid, this is what Tony Blinken, President Biden’s nominee for Secretary of State, said at his 1/19 hearing before the Senate: “We want to elevate the work in combating corruption.”

This statement of Blinken, Ambassador Kim has coupled with her message conveyed in July 2020, where she put emphasis on proper evaluation of the candidates who will run in the next elections.

Warning: As parties prepare for elections, leaders will be held accountable for those running under their banner. Please vet your candidates – don’t insult voters, don’t undermine democracy, don’t promote corruption,” ambassador Kim said.
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