Ukraine Seizes Millions in Cash from Fraudulent Call Centers

Introduction

Ukraine authorities have shut down 94 fraudulent call centers across the country, seizing millions in cash and seizing access tools for cryptocurrency wallets. The operation involved the National Police, Ukraine's Security Service, the Prosecutor General’s Office, and the German police. Authorities conducted 411 searches following an investigation into various investment scams and access to bank accounts. ### Fraudulent Call Centers
The fraudulent call centers ran various schemes to obtain money from victims or gain access to their bank accounts. In some cases, they posed as bank officers and called victims under the pretense of suspicious transactions, threatening to block accounts unless a payment was made. Sometimes, the scammers persuaded victims to apply for loans, provide payment card details, and install remote access tools on phones and computers. ### Seizure of Assets
During the raids, the police discovered and seized the following items:

• Access tools for 20 cryptocurrency wallets
• $2 million, 64,000 euros, and Ukrainian hryvnias in cash
• 1 kilogram of bank gold in bars and jewelry
• 26 individuals have been formally notified that they are suspects. ### Legal Consequences

The police say that some of the call centers investigated targeted citizens in foreign countries, particularly in the European Union, tricking them into 'investing' on fake brokerage platforms and installing remote-access software on their computers. In other cases, the operators called on behalf of banks and informed targets that supposedly suspicious transactions had been detected on their accounts and that the accounts would be blocked. Some victims were promised assistance in recovering money they had already lost to fraudsters, only to be scammed a second time. ### Conclusion
The police found that the call centers operated dedicated teams that specialized in identifying people with a genuine interest in investing. The people involved in these schemes may face charges for offenses relating to Parts 4 and 5 of Article 190 and Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which carry penalties of up to 12 years in prison and confiscation of property.