The Ukrainian authorities сообщила that they have dismantled a network of fraudulent call centres and frozen the assets of the criminals in more than 20 countries.
According to case materials, since 2019 the scammers created more than 100 sites offering outsized returns from investing in cryptocurrencies and securities.
To communicate with potential investors, the fraudsters created call centres in Ukraine and Georgia. The victims were predominantly citizens of Switzerland and Germany.
They were persuaded to install software allegedly for carrying out financial operations. However, in reality the scammers gained remote access to the victims’ computers and diverted their savings to accounts under their control.
As part of a joint investigation, searches were carried out in Ukraine and Georgia. Computer equipment, mobile phones, cash and documentation were seized.
At the same time, the organisers’ assets were frozen across more than 20 EU countries.
In connection with the fraud, a criminal case has been opened, and the number of victims and the exact amount of losses are being established.
Earlier in August, Ukraine dismantled an underground network of cryptocurrency exchanges, which operated with Russian payment systems.