I also travelled there around the same time you did. Yes, some folks are great but many would steal from you w/o remorse or murder you for a pittance. Their society was poisoned by communism and to a large extent still is today. Several generations will be needed to recover.
I have to ask though, among those who would turn on you, were they members of the Romany (gypsy) community? Indigenous Romanians despise and distrust gypsies.