Scammers on classified ads in Montenegro usually want one of two things: your payment card details and bank codes, or payment in advance for a flat, a car or an item that does not exist. To pay you, a buyer only needs your account number (IBAN), so a link that asks for your card number, CVV or an SMS code is not a way to get paid but a way to steal your data. If you have already entered your details, call your bank at once: for an unauthorised transaction the bank must refund the money by the end of the next working day at the latest, and your loss is capped at 50 euros, unless you acted with gross negligence. Report the fraud to the police on 122; the Criminal Code sets up to three years in prison for fraud, or up to ten years when the damage exceeds 30,000 euros.
Your rights against the bank are set by the Law on Payment Transactions, amended along the lines of the EU payment services directive, and the penalties by the Criminal Code, which in September 2026 tightened the rules on the misuse of non-cash means of payment. This guide explains what scams on classified ads look like, how to protect yourself, what to do if you were scammed, what rights you have against your bank and what the penalties are.
What do scams on classified ads look like?
- A link to "receive a payment" or "arrange delivery": the "buyer" sends a link that looks like a page of a bank, a courier or the classifieds site and asks for your card details and an SMS code. You never need to enter card details to receive a payment.
- A deposit for a flat or car you have not seen: the "owner" is supposedly abroad or busy and asks for a deposit, a kapara or delivery costs before a viewing.
- A fake payment confirmation: the buyer sends a screenshot of a payment for a larger amount and asks you to refund the difference, while the money never reaches your account.
- Messages in the name of institutions: in July 2026 the Cyber Security Agency warned about messages in the name of the Central Bank and Western Union promising 50 euros to every adult citizen and leading to a fake link.
- Moving to another app: the other person insists on continuing the conversation outside the classifieds site, in a messaging app where neither the ad nor the chat leaves a trace.
How can you protect yourself?
- To receive money, give only your IBAN and name, and never give anyone your card details, CVV or one-time codes from your bank.
- Do not pay a deposit for a flat or a car before you have seen it in person and checked who the owner is; pay a kapara only against a written preliminary contract.
- Type your bank's address yourself and do not open links from messages, because institutions and banks do not ask for confidential data by SMS, e-mail or social media.
- Before paying, compare the payee's name with the owner's name. The July 2026 amendments to the Law on Payment Transactions introduce a check of whether the IBAN matches the payee's name, which banks must offer within nine months of the infrastructure for that check being set up.
- Hand over expensive items in person, and check the payment in your own banking app, not on a screenshot.
What should you do if you were scammed?
- Call your bank immediately, block the card or app access and dispute the transactions. You are not liable for transactions made after you notified the bank, unless you yourself acted fraudulently.
- Keep the evidence: the ad, the messages, phone numbers, links, the payee's IBAN and payment confirmations.
- Report the fraud to the police on 122 or at the nearest police station.
- Report the incident to the Cyber Security Agency through the form on its website, under the fraud category.
- Report the ad and the profile to the classifieds site where you found them, so that others are not scammed.
What rights do you have against your bank?
| Situation | What the law says |
| Someone paid with your card or details without your approval | The bank refunds the amount by the end of the next working day after it learned of the transaction or was notified, unless it has reasonable grounds to suspect fraud and informs the Central Bank in writing |
| Lost, stolen or misused card or app | Your loss is at most 50 euros since 8 October 2023, and it used to be 150 euros |
| When you do not bear even those 50 euros | You could not have detected the misuse before the payment, the bank or its agent made the mistake, or the bank did not require strong customer authentication |
| Fraudulent intent or gross negligence of the payer | The payer bears the whole loss, and the bank must prove the intent or gross negligence |
| A payment you sent to the scammer yourself | This is an authorised transaction, so the refund rules for unauthorised transactions do not apply |
If you sent the money yourself, the bank does not have to return it under the rules on unauthorised transactions, but tell it straight away anyway and ask it to try to stop or recall the payment, and claim the damage in the criminal proceedings or through a lawsuit.
What are the penalties for fraud?
| Criminal offence | Penalty |
| Fraud (Article 244) | A fine or up to 3 years in prison, and since October 2025 an attempt is also punishable |
| Fraud with damage over 3,000 euros | 1 to 8 years in prison |
| Fraud with damage over 30,000 euros | 2 to 10 years in prison |
| Petty fraud up to 150 euros (Article 246) | A fine or up to 6 months in prison; when it harms private property it is prosecuted by private action |
| Computer fraud (Article 352) | 6 months to 5 years in prison, and over 3,000 euros 2 to 10 years |
| Misuse of a non-cash means of payment (Article 260) | Up to 3 years in prison, and 6 months to 5 years if a gain was obtained; since 22 September 2026 an attempt is also punishable |
For petty fraud against private property, the prosecutor does not act ex officio: you file the private action with the court yourself.
If you are looking for a flat to rent long term, how to check the ad and the landlord is explained in our article on long-term rentals, and how to sell a car safely in our article on selling a used car. Pay a kapara only against a written contract, as our article on the property deposit explains. If you need a lawyer for a criminal complaint or a damages claim, criminal law is among the practice areas of RoNa Legal.
Frequently asked questions
Is a link to receive a payment a scam? Yes, if it asks for card details or a code from your bank. To receive a payment an IBAN is enough.
Will my bank give me my money back? For an unauthorised transaction it must, by the end of the next working day at the latest, and your loss is at most 50 euros, except in cases of intent or gross negligence. If you paid the scammer yourself, these rules do not apply.
Where do you report online fraud in Montenegro? To the police on 122 or at a police station, and the incident also to the Cyber Security Agency through the form on its website.
What is the penalty for fraud in Montenegro? A fine or up to 3 years in prison, 1 to 8 years when the damage exceeds 3,000 euros and 2 to 10 years when it exceeds 30,000 euros.
What if the fraud is under 150 euros? That is petty fraud, punishable by a fine or up to 6 months in prison, and when it harms private property it is prosecuted by private action.
Should you pay a deposit for a flat before viewing it? Better not. See the flat first, check who the owner is and pay against a written contract.
Sources
Penalties are set by the Criminal Code of Montenegro (consolidated text, Articles 244, 246, 260 and 352), as amended by 121/2025 and 137/2026. Rights against the bank are governed by the Law amending the Law on Payment Transactions (Official Gazette of Montenegro 111/2022, Articles 35 to 37), and the payee check by the amendments in 103/2026. The cut in consumer liability from 150 to 50 euros was announced by the Central Bank of Montenegro. The warning about fake messages was published by the Cyber Security Agency, which receives incidents through its reporting form, and emergency numbers are published by the Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services. The information was checked on 25 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; this article is not legal advice.