A 26 year old man in Zagreb is facing allegations over a large scale fraud operation that police say involved stolen personal information, forged identity documents and dozens of mobile phone contracts. According to Zagreb police, the suspect is linked to 341 criminal offenses and allegedly caused approximately €141,200 in financial damage to citizens and telecommunications companies. Investigators say the scheme targeted 48 people whose personal information was obtained and later used to create fraudulent identity documents. Police believe the activity continued for nearly two years, from October 2023 until September 2025. During that period, the suspect allegedly gained unauthorized access to the personal information of 48 citizens through means that have not been fully established. Investigators say he then used computer systems to create forged identity cards containing the victims’ details, allowing him to present himself as the actual holders of those identities while carrying out transactions in their names.
The forged documents were allegedly used to sign mobile phone subscription agreements with different telecommunications operators through online services. By entering into those contracts under other people’s identities, the suspect could obtain expensive mobile phones at significantly reduced prices. Police say he ordered and collected dozens of phones and SIM cards, with packages being picked up at post offices across Zagreb or directly from delivery services. Investigators also allege that he signed documents using the names of the people whose identities had been misused. The investigation has resulted in a total of 341 suspected offenses, including 107 counts of fraud, 107 offenses involving the unauthorized use of personal data and 127 alleged cases of document forgery. The case highlights how personal information can be used beyond traditional forms of identity theft, particularly when fraudulent documents are combined with online contracts and delivery services. Croatian authorities have previously warned that personal identification documents contain information that can be misused for financial and administrative purposes.
Zagreb police also said the 26 year old was already known to authorities and had previously been investigated and reported for criminal offenses. He is currently being held in investigative custody, and after the latest investigation was completed, police submitted a special report to the competent state prosecutor’s office. The case will now proceed through the Croatian legal system, while investigators continue to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged misuse of the 48 citizens’ identities and the financial losses connected to the scheme.
