Europol has dismantled an investment fraud ring operating call centers in Albania
Europol announced the dismantling of an international criminal group that had organized a large-scale investment fraud scheme through call centers in Albania.
This is stated in an official statement from the agency.
As part of an operation conducted jointly with law enforcement agencies in Albania and Austria, 10 people were arrested and nearly 900,000 euros in cash were seized.
According to the investigation, the total losses resulting from the network’s activities amount to at least 50 million euros.
The scheme involved luring victims through advertisements for fake investments on social media and the internet. Afterward, they were contacted by call center operators in Tirana who posed as financial brokers.
The criminals worked in teams of 6–8 people and used various languages—including German, English, Italian, Greek, and Spanish—to gain the trust of clients.
Under the guise of lucrative investments, the victims were persuaded to transfer significant sums of money, which the perpetrators actually embezzled.
The Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office has filed an indictment against four members of an organized group. According to the investigation, they sold nonexistent vehicles to the military under the guise of volunteer aid and defrauded 11 servicemembers. Another member has been placed on the wanted list.
The scammers are sending out fake letters in Budanov’s name.
