Ukraine, Czechia nab phone scam gang in joint probe
That’s according to the Prosecutor General’s Office, Ukrinform reports.
A joint international investigative group was set up in order to expose and document the entire illegal operation.
According to the investigation, the scheme was masterminded by a Ukrainian national in 2023. He engaged as accomplices residents of several regions of Ukraine and foreign nationals who spoke Czech and other languages to reach out to potential victims from a call center.
They would pose as bank employees and tell victims their bank accounts had been hacked, offering them to temporarily transfer funds to "safer accounts" or buy cryptocurrency at a favorable rate. Caller ID altering technology was used to create an impression among the victims that the suspects were actually from the bank's support service.
The joint investigative team documented an over 30 million crowns worth scam operation that has affected over 100 Czech citizens.
As a result of the operation, police operatives apprehended three foreign nationals, members of a criminal ring, whom Czechia had put on the Interpol wanted list.
During raids in Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kyiv regions, law enforcers seized mobile phones, computers, electronic media, bank cards, and other physical evidence, including $68,000 in cash, as well as euros and hryvnias.
Further investigation aims to establish all circumstances of the crime. Charges are yet to be pressed in this case.
Three detained foreign citizens who committed criminal offenses on the territory of Ukraine were extradited at the request of Czechia’s competent authorities.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, law enforcement officers from Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova busted an international scam scheme involving illegal call centers.
