The SSU cyber units and the National Police have carried out a multi-stage special operation across Ukraine. As a result, more than 100 call centres that were stealing personal data and savings of Ukrainian and foreign citizens were shut down in one day.

These efforts are part of the SSU’s systematic work to counter russian intelligence services, which are using all means to undermine the socio-political situation in Ukraine.

According to the investigation, the fraudsters offered people to ‘make some money on the stock exchange’, ‘invest’ in cryptocurrencies or get ‘profit’ from gambling.

The scamsters also used pretexts such as: ‘your relative was in a traffic accident and needs money’ or ‘we help you to move from the war zone’.

The exposed call centres also acted as online casinos for well-known brokerage companies and betting shops.

In the process of luring money, the criminals collected customers’ personal data, including passport details, phone numbers, etc.

This information might have been passed to russian intelligence services, which use such data to remotely recruit new agents.

During the searches of the call centres and the organisers’ homes, the SSU seized over 4,000 pieces of computer equipment, mobile phones and starter packs, as well as other evidence.

The criminal proceedings were initiated under Article 190 of the CCU (fraud). The persons involved will be served notices of suspicion shortly; they are facing up to 12 years in prison. The court is to decide on measures of restraint.

The investigation is ongoing.

In recent months, the SSU has eliminated another 30 call centres in several regions of Ukraine, some of which were coordinated by russian intelligence services.

For example, in Vinnytsia region:

The SSU cyber units shut down a large ‘call centre’ operating in a penitentiary institution.  Its organizer was the so-called ‘overseer’ for the prison, connected to russian criminal circles.

The scamsters are responsible for almost 70% of all fraud schemes that have ever been used against one of the leading state-owned banks in Ukraine.

30 inmates phoned depositors of financial institutions and stole their money under the guise of ‘providing online services’.

Currently, 10 of the defendants have been charged under several Articles of the CCU, including:

• 255 (creation, management of a criminal community or criminal organisation, participation in it);
• 255-1 (establishing or spreading criminal influence).

In Dnipropetrovsk region:

The SSU dismantled a criminal organisation whose members collected information on captured soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and then extorted money from their relatives.

For various amounts of money, the fraudsters promised to help to return Ukrainian defenders home.

Seven members of the criminal group were detained. They were notified of suspicion and taken into custody.

In Cherkasy region:

The law enforcement agencies exposed an organiser of a local ‘call centre’, who worked for the sanctioned company Yandex. He involved 30 local residents in the clandestine activity.

The ‘call centre’ remotely provided dispatching services to Yandex taxi company in one of the Central Asian states.

According to the investigation, the illegal business allowed to transfer in 2023 over USD 1 mln to the russian budget.

Investigations are ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the crimes and bring the involved to justice.

The operations were carried out jointly with the National Police under the procedural supervision of the prosecutor’s office.