The head of Albania’s State Police, Skënder Hita, has raised concerns over a suspected coordinated cyber activity involving negative online reviews targeting hotels, restaurants and other tourism-related businesses across the country.

Speaking to the media, Hita said the alleged campaign could harm not only individual businesses but also Albania’s tourism sector and the country’s international image as a safe and welcoming destination.

According to the police chief, the Cybercrime Investigation Unit has launched verification procedures involving more than 10,000 social media accounts that have shown what authorities describe as suspicious patterns of activity.

Initial findings indicate that some accounts may have been recently created and allegedly used to publish large numbers of negative reviews on international platforms for hotels, restaurants, resorts and tourist destinations.

Police said investigators are examining possible links between accounts based on timing, similarities in content and coordinated patterns of distribution. Authorities are also reviewing cases where the same accounts allegedly posted negative ratings against businesses in several Albanian cities, including Tirana, Durrës, Vlora, Saranda, Elbasan, Shkodra and Korça.

Hita said that, if confirmed, such activity could affect fair competition, consumer trust and Albania’s tourism reputation.

The investigation remains ongoing, and Albanian authorities are expected to provide further updates as more information becomes available.