Ukrainian authorities have shut down 94 fraudulent call centers in a coordinated nationwide operation, seizing millions of dollars in cash along with thousands of pieces of computer and telecom equipment used to run investment scams and bank fraud schemes.

The operation, carried out this week, involved 411 searches conducted by Ukraine’s National Police, Security Service, the Prosecutor General’s Office, and German police. According to a police press release, the call centers’ operators posed as bankers, brokers, and law enforcement officers to lure victims onto fake investment platforms and gain access to their bank accounts.

Multiple Fraud Schemes Uncovered

Investigators say the scam operations used several tactics. In some cases, fraudsters impersonated bank staff, warning victims of suspicious transactions and threatening to freeze accounts unless payments were made. In others, scammers convinced victims to take out loans, hand over payment card details, or install remote access tools on their phones and computers.

Some call centers targeted victims in the European Union with fake brokerage platforms, while others promised to help people recover money already lost to fraud, only to scam them a second time. Police also found call centers marketing products as medical treatments despite having no actual medicinal value. Dedicated teams within the operations reportedly specialized in identifying individuals with genuine interest in investing.

Seized Assets

During the raids, police seized:

  • 1,794 fully equipped workstations
  • 3,336 pieces of computer equipment
  • 1,346 phones and 5,200 SIM cards
  • 90 bank cards and access tools for 20 cryptocurrency wallets
  • 22 vehicles
  • $2 million, 64,000 euros, and Ukrainian hryvnias in cash
  • 1 kilogram of bank gold in bars and jewelry

Twenty-six individuals have been formally notified that they are suspects. Those involved could face charges under Parts 4 and 5 of Article 190 and Part 3 of Article 209 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, which carry penalties of up to 12 years in prison and confiscation of property.

Forensic Investigation Underway

Police are now conducting a forensic examination of the seized equipment to identify victims, assess the scale of financial losses, and gather evidence against the organizers, money mules, and money launderers involved in the scheme.