A nationwide crackdown in Ukraine has taken down 94 fraudulent call centers, with authorities conducting more than 400 searches. Officers seized 3,336 computers, 1,346 phones, over 5,200 SIM cards, 90 bank cards, access to 20 crypto wallets, and 22 vehicles, along with about $2M in cash, 64,000 euros, hryvnia currency, and a kilogram of bank gold.
The centers ran schemes where callers impersonated bank employees, promoted fraudulent investment and cryptocurrency platforms, or tried to gain remote access to victims’ devices. Some operators collected personal data about potential victims and sold it to other criminal groups. Ready-made conversation scripts and victim databases were found on site, police said.
The operation also reached across borders. One cross-border case has Ukrainian and German investigators teaming up on a crew that bilked EU citizens with phony brokerage sites, shifting proceeds through crypto exchanges into group-controlled accounts.
Some 867 addresses were checked, and 26 suspects have been formally notified of criminal proceedings. Those convicted face up to 12 years behind bars plus property confiscation. National Police ran the sweep jointly with the Security Service of Ukraine and the Prosecutor General’s Office.
