Two fake doctors arrested in Croatia, suspected of defrauding victims of 74,000 euros

Croatian authorities have arrested two North Macedonian nationals suspected of defrauding individuals out of approximately 74,000 euros by impersonating doctors. The arrests highlight a growing trend of sophisticated online financial scams.

In one case investigated by the Split Public Prosecutor's Office (ODO Split), a 49-year-old and a 41-year-old suspect allegedly posed as doctors. The investigation suggests that one of the suspects contacted a victim on July 11, falsely claiming a close relative required urgent medical treatment. The victim was told the cost was 32,540 euros and subsequently handed over the money through an intermediary.

Both suspects were brought before an investigative judge at the County Court in Split, who ordered their pre-trial detention due to the risk of flight and recidivism. Meanwhile, the Zagreb Public Prosecutor's Office (ODO Zagreb) has indicted a separate 58-year-old North Macedonian national for a similar scam. This individual is accused of defrauding six people of a total of 41,400 euros during June and July 2025.

The Zagreb indictment details how the accused contacted victims, falsely presenting himself as a doctor and claiming their relatives had been involved in traffic accidents. He solicited money for their supposed treatment. He too was placed in pre-trial detention pending the investigation. The article notes that such impersonation scams are common, despite ongoing police warnings, and have become a lucrative criminal enterprise globally.

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The two suspects were brought before an investigative judge at the County Court in Split, who ordered their pre-trial detention due to the risk of escape and the risk of repeating the offense.