More than 4,500 citizens of Europe and Central Asia were defrauded of 186 million hryvnias: international fraud call centre exposed in Ukraine. PHOTOS
Members of a criminal organisation that misappropriated funds of foreign citizens under the guise of providing "legal aid" have been exposed and served with a notice of suspicion.
This is reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General, Censor.NET informs.
It is noted that the organisation operated in Ukraine and specialised in fraudulent schemes with the so-called chargeback - allegedly a return on investment after interacting with fake online brokers. They called residents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and EU countries, posing as lawyers and promising to help them get their money back.
"Using social engineering techniques, they sent fake documents, called on behalf of 'judicial' or 'tax' authorities, used deepfake technology to mask faces, and forced victims to pay 'commissions', 'court fees' or 'taxes'. In many cases, people were persuaded to take out loans or sell property to make the next 'payment'. Thus, according to preliminary data, more than 4,500 people were affected, and the total amount of damage caused exceeds UAH 186 million," the Prosecutor General's Office said.
The organisation had a clear hierarchy: from investors and coordinators to team leaders who trained agents and executors who were in direct contact with victims. The members invested the ill-gotten gains in luxury real estate in Kyiv, land in the suburbs and premium cars.
It is reported that during the searches, computer equipment, instructions, backups of the CRM system, messengers and crypto wallet data were seized, which allowed to establish the roles of all participants.
Nine persons were detained in accordance with Article 208 of the CPC of Ukraine and served a notice of suspicion of creating and participating in a criminal organisation (Article 255 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and fraud (Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The issue of choosing a measure of restraint is being decided.
