International call centre fraudsters defraud victims of €1.2 million

International call centre fraudsters defraud victims of €1.2 million

As part of international cooperation, Ukrainian law enforcement officers, together with colleagues from Europol, Eurojust and law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Moldova and Romania, stopped the activities of a fraudulent call center, whose participants were extorting money from citizens.

This was reported by the Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police and the Office of the Prosecutor General.

"On the territory of the Republic of Moldova, 12 members of an organized criminal group were detained, including two Ukrainians. About 400 employees worked in the fraudulent call centers."

According to the fraudulent scheme developed, which has been in operation since 2021, the scammers offered victims, mainly Romanian citizens, to make investments through online advertisements with the promise of safe and quick earnings. According to Moldovan criminal law, those detained face a prison sentence of up to 15 years."

Several Ukrainian citizens, together with representatives of other countries, provided the work of four call centers with a staff of about 400 people in Moldova. They offered to invest funds in pseudo-brokerage projects and promised high earnings after small investments.

The fraudsters used images of celebrities or official logos of large local banks in their advertisements. This inspired trust in potential victims and allowed them to deceive many people, the prosecutor’s office noted.

Members of the organized crime group offered victims to install mobile applications on their phones that would allow them to access the victims’ bank accounts and transfer money from them.

On August 7, 2024, law enforcement officers from Ukraine, Romania and the Republic of Moldova simultaneously conducted a special operation to eliminate the activities of fraudulent call centers.

About 70 searches were conducted in these countries in call centers, office buildings, as well as in the residences and cars of the defendants. 9 of these searches were conducted in Ukraine.

Law enforcement officers seized more than 100 computers, system units, dozens of telephones, bank cards, firearms, 10 cars, and about 35 thousand US dollars. In Kyiv, Ukrainian law enforcement officers seized computer equipment, communication equipment, and more than 2.4 million in hryvnia equivalent.

Law enforcement officers continue to collect evidence to establish the full circle of persons involved in criminal activity and bring them to justice.

In Romania, the "scheme" is being investigated in 120 criminal cases based on 150 statements from defrauded individuals. It has been established that the perpetrators defrauded the victims of 1,200,000 euros under the fraudulent scheme.