A fake call center posing as a crypto investment fund was shut down in Kyiv
Date: 2025-07-25 Author: Gabriel Deangelo Categories: IN WORLD
Employees of the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine reported the liquidation of a scheme whose victims included citizens of the United States, Germany, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Canada. The attackers posed as managers of fictitious investment funds and persuaded clients to invest in supposedly profitable crypto portfolios. To appear convincing, they spoke foreign languages fluently and used fake websites to deposit money.
After the client transferred funds to the fake resource, the money was immediately withdrawn and laundered through various channels. At this point, communication with the “investor” was interrupted, and the promised profit, of course, remained fictitious. As a result, the deceived people lost tens of thousands of dollars, counting on an increase in income.
The call center employed between 15 and 40 operators. Each of them earned up to $5,000 weekly from gullible clients. The employees' responsibilities included not only telephone conversations, but also maintaining the illusion of a "real" investment company - from simulating office life to fake reporting.
Investigative actions are currently ongoing. Law enforcement officers are trying to establish all money laundering chains and identify accomplices who could work abroad or provide technical support for the scheme. Particular attention is being paid to one-day websites through which money was collected. Some of these resources have already been blocked, but new domains may pop up.
It is worth recalling that this is not the first case of international fraud being exposed in Ukraine. Earlier, the BEB employees also identified a network of phishing websites through which cybercriminals stole bank details of foreign citizens. Then the amount of damage exceeded $1.5 million.
Law enforcement officers urge citizens to carefully check any offers related to investments in cryptocurrencies and financial instruments. Experts advise not to trust unknown companies and always check information about licenses and reputation of intermediaries. If the interlocutor persistently pushes you to quickly transfer funds or uses pressure, this is the first signal that you may be dealing with scammers.
With the growing interest in the crypto industry, such schemes are becoming more and more sophisticated. Therefore, experts emphasize the importance of financial literacy and attentiveness when working with digital assets.
