Ukrainian investigators have taken down a major call center operation blamed for defrauding thousands of Kazakhstani victims. The call center takedown was a collaboration between officers from Ukraine’s Cyber Police Department and the Main Investigative Department of the National Police. Police reported that 40 individuals were arrested in connection with the scheme, including three individuals believed to be in charge.
The call center allegedly targeted Kazakhstan residents pretending to be IT security workers at various banks. The call center employees could convince victims that their accounts had been compromised and use the account information to access and transfer victim funds. The call center workers would also take out loans in the victims’ names. The call operators were allegedly paid depending on how much they swindled from targets, although the exact number of the money stolen is unknown. Police also seized SIM cards, computer equipment, and other physical evidence.