Cyber Guard blocks first scam site, 35 people defrauded
Serbia's new police platform Cyber Guard suspended a fraudulent web domain for the first time, leading to the arrest of a suspect over a fake air conditioner sale that hit at least 35 people.
- The Cyber Guard platform identified and temporarily suspended a fraudulent web domain for the first time.
- A suspect was arrested over the fake online sale of air conditioners, allegedly active from April 2022 to May this year.
- At least 35 people were defrauded, with total damages exceeding 2.2 million dinars.
- Serbia's interior ministry, the First Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade and RNIDS took part in the case.
Serbia’s Cyber Guard system has delivered its first concrete result. The platform, run by the interior ministry, identified a potentially fraudulent domain and launched a temporary suspension. Shortly afterwards, a suspect was arrested over the fake online sale of air conditioners.
According to officials, the scheme ran for more than four years. The suspect allegedly misled buyers from April 2022 to May 2026, taking payment for goods that were never delivered.
At least 35 people were defrauded. Total damages are estimated at more than 2.2 million dinars. It was a classic online sales scam, in which the buyer pays upfront and the product never arrives.
How did the platform detect the fraud?
Cyber Guard is designed to respond quickly to suspicious domains. When the system flags a domain with the markings of a scam, a temporary suspension procedure begins. That takes the site out of circulation before the fraudster can reach new buyers.
In this case, the suspension was the first step. The next phase was police and prosecutorial work to identify the person behind the listings. The suspect is charged with fraud, but guilt has not been established by a final court ruling.
The platform was launched on the initiative of the interior ministry’s High-Tech Crime Unit. The project received support from the Council of Europe and UNOPS. The Belgrade City Police Department, the First Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade and RNIDS, the national domain registry, took part in the case.
Why does this case matter?
Fake online selling is one of the most common forms of cybercrime in Serbia. The schemes repeat: an attractive price, fast replies, a demand for upfront payment. Once the money lands, the listing vanishes, and the buyer is left with neither the goods nor a contact.
The problem so far has been speed. While police gather evidence and trace a person, the scam site often keeps running and lures new victims. The temporary domain suspension mechanism is meant to shorten that window.
The first successfully blocked domain serves as a test of the model. If the procedure proves workable, it could become a standard measure in handling such cases. Officials are urging citizens to check sellers, avoid payments to unknown parties and report suspicious listings.
Will faster suspension of fraudulent domains really cut the number of online sales victims, or will scammers simply switch addresses more quickly?
