“Law enforcement officers simultaneously inspected the infrastructure of fraudulent call centers whose operators posed as bankers, brokers, and law enforcement officers, lured people onto fake investment platforms, and gained access to their bank accounts,” the Ukrainian police said in a press release.
The raids: agencies involved and operational scale
The operation took place this week and involved coordinated activity by the National Police, Ukraine's Security Service, the Prosecutor General’s Office, and the German police. Ukrainian officers conducted 411 searches across the country and say they shut down the operations of 94 fraudulent call centers.
Authorities have formally notified 26 individuals that they are suspects in the schemes uncovered during the raids.
What the police seized
During the searches, investigators reported recovering a large volume of equipment, cash and valuables that, according to the police account, were linked to the call-center operations. The items seized include:
- 1,794 fully equipped workstations
- 3,336 pieces of computer equipment
- 1,346 phones
- 5,200 SIM cards
- 90 bank cards
- 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
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According to the Ukrainian police, operators ran multiple fraud schemes. In some cases, callers impersonated bank officers and warned victims of supposed suspicious transactions, threatening to block accounts unless payments were made. Other victims were persuaded to apply for loans, provide payment card details, or install remote access tools on phones and computers.
The police said some call centers lured people onto fake brokerage or investment platforms and that teams were dedicated to identifying people with a genuine interest in investing. In other instances, callers promised to help victims recover money they had already lost, only to defraud them a second time. The police also reported that some operations promoted products as medical treatments despite those products having no medicinal properties.
Legal exposure, forensic work, and investigative aims
Police said the people involved may face charges related to Parts 4 and 5 of Article 190 and Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Those provisions carry penalties of up to 12 years in prison and confiscation of property, according to the police statement.
Authorities are conducting a forensic examination of the seized equipment. The police say that analysis is intended to help identify victims and quantify the extent of their losses. The examination is also expected to produce evidence that could incriminate organizers of the schemes as well as other participants named by the police — including money mules and money launderers.
What this means for EU citizens, banks, and forensic investigators
EU citizens: The police stated that some of the call centers specifically targeted citizens in foreign countries, particularly in the European Union, by tricking them into investing on fake brokerage platforms or by getting them to install remote-access software. Individuals in the EU who receive unsolicited calls about investments or account problems should treat the tactics described by Ukrainian investigators — impersonation, threats of account blocking, and requests to install remote-access tools — as the patterns evident in this case.
Banks: The Ukrainian police reported that operators posed as bank officers in a number of schemes, warning of suspicious transactions and demanding payments to prevent account blocks. That pattern highlights the role that banks may play as an identity leveraged by fraudsters and underscores the need for clear channels and verifiable procedures for notifying customers.
Forensic investigators and law enforcement: The scale of seized hardware and the police plan for digital forensic analysis underline the investigative challenge. With thousands of devices, hundreds of SIMs and cards, and access tools for cryptocurrency wallets in custody, the police have signaled that lab work will be central to mapping victims, tracking funds, and identifying higher-level organizers and facilitators.
Ukrainian authorities framed the raids as a synchronized strike against a networked fraud apparatus: simultaneous inspections, hundreds of searches and the seizure of extensive physical and digital infrastructure. The immediate next step the police have set out is forensic examination of the haul to establish victims, quantify losses and secure evidence that could lead to trials and further arrests.
