Detectives of the BES Main Detectives Unit exposed a criminal organization that set up a network of call centers that fraudulently received funds from Ukrainian citizens.
In total, the criminal organization consisted of more than 15 members. The call centers operated in four offices located in Kyiv and Chernihiv. The organizers also engaged more than 500 individual entrepreneurs and 20 controlled companies to receive funds from the victims.
The investigation established that the call center operators called people and informed them of allegedly winning a lottery or loyalty program. To receive the gift, the victims had to pay for the delivery of the parcel. Usually, these were small household items (shampoos, soaps, brushes, etc.) and souvenirs (bracelets, pendants, jewelry boxes). In other words, the “delivery” fee actually covered the cost of the gift.
Later, participants in the imaginary lottery received a prize and an offer to move on to the next stage of the contest.
The call center employees encouraged people to participate by promising to receive between UAH 100,000 and UAH 750,000 in the final draw. In order to win the main prize, the victims had to make a new cash contribution. There were usually several such stages. However, the fraudsters had no real intention of paying the grand prize.
Law enforcement officers conducted more than 30 searches in Kyiv and Chernihiv regions, during which they seized more than 500 pieces of computer equipment, mobile phones, server equipment, documents, seals and more than UAH 1 million in cash.
In the course of the pre-trial investigation, information on the movement of funds of 250 entities was obtained, and 30 citizens were interrogated and recognized as victims. The total number of victims is more than 500 people who have already filed statements with law enforcement agencies. The estimated amount of damage caused to the citizens is over UAH 100 million.
The SBU detectives served 12 citizens a notice of suspicion under Part 4 of Art. 28, Part 4 of Art. 190, Part 1 of Art. 255 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (creation of a criminal organization with the aim of committing serious crimes, as well as management of such an organization with the aim of seizing another’s property by deception (fraud), committed repeatedly, through illegal transactions using electronic computers).
At present, custody has been chosen as a measure of restraint against 4 suspects, and house arrest has been chosen as a measure of restraint against 5 suspects. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.
Operational support is provided by the SBU Department of Counterintelligence Protection of the State’s Interests in the Field of Information Security. Procedural guidance is provided by prosecutors of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
