In Ukraine, a network of call centres laundered more than 42 million hryvnias in cryptocurrency

Kharkiv police uncovered a group of criminals posing as bank employees who stole money from citizens’ accounts. This was reported by the department’s press service.

From June to December 2020, three call centres operated in Kharkiv, employing more than 100 people. Posing as bank managers, call-centre operators obtained citizens’ personal data necessary to access their accounts.

“The criminals used the client base of one of the banks established in the Russian Federation, which operated on Ukrainian territory,” the police said.

The criminals transferred victims’ funds to their own accounts, and then to the Russian Federation. After that, the money returned to Ukraine in the form of cryptocurrency. The monthly income of the illegal enterprise exceeded 7 million hryvnias.

On 14 December, as part of the fraud investigation, law enforcement conducted searches at the call centres, premises of the organisers and active participants. The police seized computer equipment, documents, bank cards and 140,000 hryvnias.

“Once the role of each participant in the scheme has been established, the question of reclassifying the offenders’ actions as crimes committed as part of an organised group will be addressed,” the police said.

Earlier in October, Moscow police arrested 13 call-centre employees, who laundered money through cryptocurrency.

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