Detectives of the Main Division of the Bureau of Economic Security (BEB) exposed the activities of a criminal organization that fraudulently received funds from citizens of Ukraine through a network of call centers. About this reported press service of the department.
According to the investigation, the group included more than 15 people who organized the work of four call centers in Kyiv and Chernihiv. More than 500 FOPs and 20 controlled companies were involved in this scheme, through whose accounts the funds of the victims passed.
The scheme consisted in the fact that call center operators called citizens, informing them of alleged winnings in a lottery or loyalty program. To receive a “gift” it was necessary to pay for the delivery of the parcel. As a rule, such gifts were inexpensive household goods or souvenirs (shampoo, soap, bracelets, pendants, etc.). The cost of delivery usually covered the price of the “gift” itself.
Next, the fraudsters offered the victims to proceed to the next stages of the competition, promising the main prize – from 100,000 to 750,000 hryvnias. To participate in each subsequent stage, the victims had to make new monetary contributions. However, the organizers had no real intention to pay the prizes.
It was established that the criminals defrauded more than 500 people, and the total amount of damages exceeded 100 million hryvnias. Investigators also received information about the movement of funds through 250 business entities and questioned 30 victims who were officially recognized as victims in the case.
