How to report a scam in Slovakia
- Call your bank first to try to stop or recall the payment.
- File a police criminal complaint (trestné oznámenie): any police station, call 158, or via slovensko.sk with an eID.
- Entered card or login details on a fake page? Report it to SK-CERT as well.
Where to report
Can you get your money back?
Slovakia is in the EU and the eurozone, so EU payment protections apply - but speed and a police report matter.
Unauthorised transactions (payments you did not authorise) can generally be refunded by your bank under EU payment-services rules. Card payments can often be disputed through chargeback - ask your bank. Authorised transfers you were tricked into sending are much harder to recover, which is why calling the bank within hours matters. A police criminal complaint creates the official record your bank or insurer may require. Steps by payment method are in what to do if you've been scammed.
What happens after you report
The police assess your criminal complaint and may open an investigation, especially where there is traceable evidence such as an account number or a loss over the criminal threshold. SK-CERT focuses on the technical side - taking down phishing pages and issuing warnings - rather than recovering funds. Keep your complaint reference and all evidence for your bank claim.
A note on Slovak law
After any loss, ignore anyone who later offers to recover your money for a fee - that is the money recovery scam, a second fraud that targets victims. No agency or service in Slovakia charges upfront to get your money back.
Frequently asked questions
- Where do I report a scam in Slovakia?
- File a police criminal complaint (trestné oznámenie) at any police station, by calling 158, or electronically through the slovensko.sk portal with an eID. If you entered card or login details on a fake site, also report to SK-CERT. And contact your bank's fraud team immediately.
- Is a scam a crime in Slovakia if the loss is small?
- Fraud is a criminal offence, and a loss over €266 (malá škoda, the small-damage threshold in the Slovak Criminal Code) is treated as a crime carrying heavier penalties. Smaller losses can still be reported and may be handled as an offence, so report regardless of the amount.
- What if the trader was in another EU country?
- For a dispute with a legitimate business elsewhere in the EU, the Slovak European Consumer Centre (Európske spotrebiteľské centrum, europskyspotrebitel.sk) can help. For outright fraud, still file a police complaint in Slovakia and report to your bank.
- Slovak Criminal Code (zákon č. 300/2005 Z. z.), definition of "malá škoda" (small damage), set at €266. The threshold above which fraud is treated as a more serious criminal offence in Slovakia.
We compile official reporting routes from government agencies and law enforcement. This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Read about how we research or who we are.