Authorities in Ukraine shut down 94 fraudulent call centers across the country that lured people into investment scams or tried to obtain access to bank accounts.
The operation occurred this week, and police officers conducted a total of 411 searches following an investigation that involved the National Police, Ukraine’s Security Service, the Prosecutor General’s Office, and the German police.
According to the Ukrainian police, the fraudsters ran various schemes to obtain money from victims or gain access to their bank accounts.
In some cases, they posed as bank officers and called victims under the pretense of suspicious transactions, threatening to block accounts unless a payment was made.
Sometimes, the scammers persuaded victims to apply for loans, provide payment card details, and install remote access tools on phones and computers.
“Law enforcement officers simultaneously inspected the infrastructure of fraudulent call centers whose operators posed as bankers, brokers, and law enforcement officers, lured people onto fake investment platforms, and gained access to their bank accounts,” the Ukrainian police say in a press release.
“A total of 411 searches were conducted, and the operations of 94 fraudulent call centers were shut down.”
Source: cyberpolice.gov.ua
During the raids, the police discovered and seized the following items:
- 1,794 fully equipped workstations
- 3,336 pieces of computer equipment
- 1,346 phones
- 5,200 SIM cards
- 90 bank cards
- Access tools for 20 cryptocurrency wallets
- 22 vehicles.
- $2 million, 64,000 euros, and Ukrainian hryvnias in cash
- 1 kilogram of bank gold in bars and jewelry
Also, 26 individuals have been formally notified that they are suspects.
The police say that some of the call centers investigated targeted citizens in foreign countries, particularly in the European Union, tricking them into “investing” on fake brokerage platforms and installing remote-access software on their computers.
In other cases, the operators called on behalf of banks and informed targets that supposedly suspicious transactions had been detected on their accounts and that the accounts would be blocked.
Some victims were promised assistance in recovering money they had already lost to fraudsters, only to be scammed a second time.
According to police, some call centers promoted products as medical treatments for various diseases, despite the products having no actual medicinal properties.
The police found that the call centers operated dedicated teams that specialized in identifying people with a genuine interest in investing.
The people involved in these schemes may face charges for offenses relating to Parts 4 and 5 of Article 190 and Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which carry penalties of up to 12 years in prison and confiscation of property.
Police are currently performing a forensic investigation of the seized equipment, which will help identify victims and the extent of their losses. The examination is also expected to uncover evidence to incriminate the organizers of the scheme, as well as other participants in the operation, such as money mules and money launderers.
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