On April 6, citizens of Bosnia began reporting receiving emails signed by so-called police officer Mirsad Vilić, with police and Europol logos, informing them of an ongoing investigation and seeking personal information.
The emails were part of a phishing campaign, which has been ongoing since November 2022, targeting directors and managers of companies. The fraudster(s) were not identified. A Federation entity police press release warned that the aim was to establish contact with recipients to gain the benefit of their property.
Similarly, on April 6, North Macedonian citizens received fraudulent emails allegedly from the head of the Public Security Bureau, Sasho Tasevski, regarding an ongoing investigation with Europol. The emails stated that the recipients were subject to legal proceedings for fictitious crimes and requested personal information. The country’s Interior Ministry later confirmed that the emails were fake.
In Albania, on April 3, a group called Homeland Justice published three RAR files on Telegram containing documents from the Albanian Authority for Electronic and Postal Communications, AKEP, which were believed to have been obtained by Iranian hackers.
Homeland Justice also published three more RAR files on April 6, containing documents from the Albanian National Authority for the Security of Classified Information NSA, which were also believed to have been obtained by Iranian hackers.
Finally, on April 11, Homeland Justice published a third group of RAR files with attached documents from the NSA, which were again believed to have been hacked from Iranian sources.
Serbian Journalists, TV Hosts, Targeted with Threats, Intimidation
Serbia witnessed a disturbing trend of digital rights violations in April. Multiple incidents of threatening messages and intimidation were reported against public figures and journalists, highlighting the precarious situation of free speech in the country.
On April 10, Olja Bećković, a prominent journalist and host of the TV show “Utisak nedelje”, received threatening text messages on her personal phone from Sime Spasić, president of the Association of Families of Kidnapped, Murdered and Missing Persons from Kosovo and Metohija. The incident underscored the need for stronger legal protections for journalists and media professionals, who are often targeted for their work.
On the same day, Vlado Georgijev, owner of the Danube Cargo company, threatened journalists from Nova.rs who had published an article about his business. Georgijev’s actions were seen as a clear attempt to silence the media and impede free and independent reporting.
Adding to this trend, on April 9, presenter Ivan Ivanovic on Twitter reported that he had also received threats from Sime Spasic, directed towards his family. Such threats not only endanger the safety of individuals but also create a chilling effect on free speech and journalistic independence.