A large-scale fraudulent call center was shut down in Mykolaiv

Law enforcement officers conducted a special operation in Mykolaiv, exposing the activities of a fraudulent call center whose members defrauded citizens under the pretext of providing financial services, selling goods, and processing money transfers. As a result of the investigation, 16 office employees were detained, and charges were filed against the organizers. Preliminary estimates put the losses caused by the fraudsters’ activities at millions of hryvnias.

During the searches, authorities seized computer equipment, cell phones, bank cards, rough notes, cash, cryptocurrency assets, and luxury vehicles. Those detained face imprisonment for a term of 5 to 12 years with confiscation of property, depending on their role in the criminal organization.

Source: National Police of Ukraine

Earlier in the Vinnytsia region, law enforcement officers uncovered the activities of two fraudulent call centers, whose operators used various pretexts to trick citizens into revealing their personal and banking information. During the searches, police identified 37 operators and seized dozens of computers and mobile devices.

The proliferation of fraudulent call centers in Ukraine appears to be a targeted Russian sabotage operation, stated NABU Director Semen Kryvonos.

In Lutsk, law enforcement dismantled a fraudulent call center that generated approximately $500,000 in revenue each month. The investigation is currently ongoing.