In Kyiv, law enforcement uncovered the activities of a fraudulent call center, whose employees were extorting money from citizens of other countries under the guise of investments in crypto assets. According to the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine, the fraudsters operated in an organized manner, posing as employees of fictitious investment companies and communicating fluently in foreign languages.
This is reported by Business • Media
Details of the Fraud Scheme
The primary victims of the criminals were citizens of Germany, Slovakia, the USA, Canada, and the Czech Republic. The perpetrators convinced the victims of the necessity to invest funds in supposedly high-yield cryptocurrency portfolios. The victims’ money was transferred through fake websites, after which it was laundered, and communication with the investors was cut off.
“Money was deposited through dummy websites, after which it was laundered. Victims believed they were investing in high-yield crypto portfolios. However, after receiving the funds, all communication with them was severed.”
The call center employed between 15 to 40 individuals. According to the investigation, each employee could earn up to $5,000 per week. Currently, investigative actions are ongoing to establish all circumstances and involved persons.
Known Similar Cases
Previously, international scams related to cryptocurrencies had already been uncovered in Ukraine, including schemes for stealing banking data from foreigners through phishing. The losses from such activities are estimated in the millions of dollars.