Hungary recovers EUR 2.4 million from online scammers in 6 months, justice minister reports key achievements

As a result of the government’s firm actions, a total of HUF 1 billion (EUR 2.4 million) was retrieved from online scammers and paid back to the victims over the past six months, the justice minister told a press conference, summarising last year’s main achievements.

Speaking at a press conference, Bence Tuzson called swift action of key importance in online scams and noted new measures that allow police to access information faster and banks to bloc scam transfers. Online scams went up significantly, by 40 percent, in 2023 and there have been more than 30 types identified so far, he said, adding that changes in methods had been constantly monitored and new measures were being drafted in response. “We plan to submit a new bill to parliament in the spring,” Tuzson said.

Making reference to the killing of eleven-year-old Tamás Till 25 years ago, the justice minister said that a decision had been made that homicide was regarded as a crime that had no statute of limitation. Meanwhile, the minister called Hungary’s EU presidency in the second half of 2024 highly successful, highlighting that “we have achieved that the primary consideration in every legislative issue should be the impact on the EU’s competitiveness”.