An official from the Office of the Prosecutor General was protecting fraudulent call centers
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) are conducting a special operation to expose a criminal organization that, according to investigators, is headed by an official from the Office of the Prosecutor General.
Law enforcement officials believe the organization provided cover for a network of fraudulent call centers and was involved in money laundering. Details of the operation are not being disclosed at this time.
In August, Ukraine already conducted large-scale raids as part of the fight against such call centers. At that time, law enforcement carried out 411 raids, shut down 94 call centers, and eliminated nearly 1,800 operator positions.
During the operation, authorities seized over $2 million, thousands of pieces of computer equipment, phones, SIM cards, bank cards, crypto wallets, and luxury cars. The scammers lured victims into handing over money, particularly under the guise of investments and refunds for funds the victims had previously lost.
In early September, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted draft laws to the Verkhovna Rada to increase penalties for the establishment and operation of fraudulent call centers.
Source: NABU, SAP.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted two bills to the Verkhovna Rada aimed at increasing criminal liability for organizing and participating in fraudulent call centers, as well as introducing additional protections for citizens and businesses against illegal activities involving payment instruments and bank accounts.
In Dnipro, law enforcement officials shut down fraudulent call centers whose employees, according to the investigation, posed as employees of banks, mobile operators, and law enforcement agencies.
