Call centre organisers who stole about UAH 1 million from the accounts of Ukrainians living abroad will be tried
Kyiv • UNN
The State Bureau of Investigation has completed an investigation into the organizers of a fraudulent call center who stole almost UAH 1 million from the accounts of Ukrainians living and working in Poland by posing as representatives of a Polish bank and deceiving victims into installing malware.
An investigation has been completed into the organizers of a fraudulent call center that stole almost UAH 1 million from Ukrainians' accounts. This was reported by the State Bureau of Investigation, UNN reports.
SBI officers completed a pre-trial investigation against the leaders of an organized criminal group whose members cheated Ukrainians living and working in Poland out of about UAH 1 million
It is noted that the indictment has been sent to court.
It turned out that the organizers of the fraudulent call center were well-known criminal thieves from Dnipro. They recruited 12 people to join the group, including a local law enforcement officer who helped the criminals. The office was located in an ordinary apartment, which was equipped with the necessary computer equipment. A manual was created for the call center's "operators", which described in detail how to work with clients.
The SBI says that the scammers used phone numbers of Polish operators and IP telephony. During the calls, they called themselves representatives of Polish banks and told the victims that their bank cards were blocked. During the conversation, the call center employees persuaded the victims to install a special application on their phones. This malware allowed the criminals to remotely access the victims' gadgets and bank accounts.
The law enforcement officer helped the criminals avoid detection by informing them about possible special operations to block the operation of such fraudulent schemes and giving them advice on how to organize illegal business. Through special databases, the law enforcement officer also checked information on potential candidates for office work.
Recall
In September 2023, the SBI, in cooperation with the Strategic Investigations Department of the National Police, exposed and blocked the fraudsters' activities. During the investigation, about UAH 2 million in cash in various currencies, cars, telephone and computer equipment, bank cards and SIM cards of mobile operators were seized. All the property was seized to compensate for the damage caused.
14 people, including the organizers of the fraud and a former security officer, are accused of creating, leading, and participating in a criminal organization and fraud. They face imprisonment for up to 12 years with confiscation of property.
