Fraudsters in Zaporizhzhia swindled more than 700,000 hryvnias from Kazakh citizens
In Zaporizhzhia, law enforcement officials have concluded an investigation into members of an organized group who set up a fraudulent call center and defrauded citizens of Kazakhstan. An indictment against the three suspects has already been filed with the court.
According to the investigation, between November 2023 and April 2024, the suspects operated a fraudulent call center in Zaporizhzhia. During phone calls, they posed as security staff at Kazakhstani banks and, using social engineering techniques, obtained the victims’ confidential bank card information.
In particular, the scammers tricked victims into revealing their full card numbers, expiration dates, and CVV codes, after which they stole the victims’ funds.
Law enforcement officials determined that the participants in the scheme had clearly defined roles. The organizer coordinated the group’s activities, his accomplice oversaw the call center, and two other individuals served as so-called “closers”—they communicated with the victims and persuaded them to provide their banking information.
As part of international cooperation with Kazakhstani law enforcement, police documented seven cases of fraud. The total amount of losses exceeds 8.8 million Kazakhstani tenge—that is, more than 705,000 hryvnias.
During searches of the suspects’ residences and the premises where the call center operated, law enforcement officers seized 17 pieces of computer equipment, over 40 mobile phones, and rough notes.
Three members of the organized group were notified of their status as suspects under Part 5 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—fraud committed by an organized group. They face up to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property. The case file regarding another suspect has been separated into a separate proceeding.
This was reported on July 17 by the Zaporizhzhia Regional Police.
As a reminder, law enforcement uncovered an organized group that used a fraudulent call center to swindle money from citizens of Ukraine and European Union countries. According to preliminary data, the total amount of losses exceeds 2.7 million hryvnias.
In Zaporizhzhia, authorities discovered an apartment where eight people—most of whom had limited mobility—were living under the pretense of caring for the elderly. After an inspection, all residents were evacuated, and the police opened a criminal investigation.
