Ukrainian law enforcement conducted one of the country's largest single-week crackdowns on telephone and investment fraud, shutting down 94 fraudulent call centers across nine regions and seizing assets including $2 million in cash, €64,000, 1 kilogram of bank-grade gold, and 22 luxury vehicles. The coordinated operation was jointly executed by the National Police of Ukraine (including Cyber Police and the Strategic Investigations Department), the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and the Prosecutor General's Office, announced by Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko.
Scale of the Operation
| Metric | Count |
|---|---|
| Call centers dismantled | 94 |
| Searches conducted | 411 |
| Equipped workstations seized | 1,794 |
| Pieces of computer equipment | 3,336 |
| Telephones seized | 1,346 |
| SIM cards seized | 5,200+ |
| Cryptocurrency wallets seized | 20 |
| Bank cards seized | 90 |
| Vehicles seized | 22 |
| Individuals charged | 26 |
Among the seized vehicles were a Porsche Cayenne, Cadillac Escalade, and Bentley Bentayga — reflecting the significant financial returns these operations generate for their organizers.
Regions Targeted
Law enforcement conducted operations across Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, Vinnytsia, Zakarpattia, Zaporizhzhia, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, among others. In Kyiv and Odesa alone, authorities shut down 27 illegal offices. In Odesa specifically, more than 50 authorized searches targeted call center premises spread across multiple city districts.
How the Scams Operated
The call center operators employed classic social engineering tactics:
- Investment fraud: Operators promised victims "guaranteed and quick earnings" from investment opportunities. Once funds were transferred, the money was immediately routed to accounts controlled by the organizers.
- Impersonation: Agents posed as bankers, brokers, and law enforcement officers to gain access to victims' bank accounts.
- Targeting: Victims included both Ukrainian citizens and foreign nationals, with confirmed cases involving EU citizens. One active criminal proceeding targets a network that defrauded German citizens, with Ukrainian and German law enforcement cooperating on the case.
Charges
The 26 individuals formally charged face prosecution under:
- Article 190 (Parts 4 and 5), Criminal Code of Ukraine — Fraud
- Article 209 (Part 3), Criminal Code of Ukraine — Laundering of property obtained through crime
The maximum penalty for these combined charges is up to 12 years imprisonment with full property confiscation.
The Industry Behind the Fraud
Ukraine's fraudulent call center industry is one of the largest in the world. International researchers estimate approximately 60,000 to 100,000 people are employed across these operations, with the industry's potential monthly turnover reaching up to $1 billion USD per month.
Since the start of 2026, Ukrainian authorities have conducted over 200 searches and dismantled approximately 100 fraudulent call centers in total. Previous operations this year involved international cooperation with law enforcement agencies from Lithuania, Latvia, Czech Republic, Poland, and Kazakhstan.
Ongoing Investigation
Authorities continue to:
- Analyze seized equipment and trace financial transactions
- Identify victims and quantify total losses
- Locate scheme organizers and money laundering facilitators
The operation underscores a sustained national and international push to dismantle telephone fraud infrastructure that targets citizens across Europe and beyond.
Protecting Yourself from Investment Scams
| Red Flag | What It Means |
|---|---|
| "Guaranteed returns" | No legitimate investment guarantees returns |
| Unsolicited broker contact | Cold outreach from unknown brokers is a fraud indicator |
| Urgency to deposit funds | High-pressure tactics are a deliberate manipulation technique |
| Request for remote access | Never grant remote control of devices to unsolicited callers |
| Unverifiable company details | Always verify broker licences with your national financial regulator |
If you receive a suspicious call from someone claiming to be a bank representative or investment broker, hang up and call the institution directly using a number from their official website.
References
- BleepingComputer — Ukraine shuts down 94 fraudulent call centers, seize millions in cash
- Interfax Ukraine — National Police conduct over 400 searches, shut down 94 fraudulent call centers
- Athens News/RUA — 94 fraudulent call centers were closed in Ukraine
- Intent Press — A network of fraudulent call centers was shut down in Odesa