Ukraine arrests 11 in crypto scam call center bust linked to EU victims
The Eurojust operation reflects UN concerns about forced labor in scam call centers, highlighting the link between financial crime and human rights violations.
Authorities in Ukraine have arrested 11 suspects while dismantling a fraudulent call center that scammed victims across Europe, the EU’s judicial cooperation agency said Monday.
This operation comes as global law enforcement agencies intensify efforts to combat such schemes, which are particularly prevalent in parts of Asia and associated with severe human rights abuses.
The call center in Dnipro, Ukraine, was established to deceive citizens throughout Europe using a fake cryptocurrency investment scheme. Initial investigations found victims in Latvia and Lithuania who lost more than 160,000 euros ($188,783), though authorities anticipate there may be more victims.
The perpetrators also required victims to pay for legal assistance to recover lost funds and used remote access software to transfer money from the victims’ accounts to the group’s bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets.
After at least nine victims reported the fraud, a joint investigation team was created at Eurojust, allowing authorities from Latvia, Lithuania, and Ukraine to share information and plan a coordinated action day in Ukraine.
Ten suspects were placed in pretrial detention and one under house arrest. Authorities conducted searches at 32 locations, confiscating electronic equipment, documents, computers, SIM cards, 400,000 euros ($471,924) in cash, two cryptocurrency wallets, and eight luxury vehicles. Investigations continue as the seized electronic evidence is analyzed.
The operation underscores concerns highlighted last week by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which focused on widespread human rights abuses in large-scale cyber-enabled fraud operations in Southeast Asia.
According to the report, many victims are compelled to work in call center-style environments under strict control, making fraudulent investment or romance calls, often while facing threats, restricted movement, and confiscated documents. OHCHR stressed the necessity of a rights-based response, including ensuring victims are not penalized for crimes they were forced to commit.
This case also follows broader reports on global call center scams. In March 2025, OCCRP published Scam Empire, an investigation that revealed how criminal call centers use fake investment schemes to target thousands of victims worldwide, uncovering the inner mechanics of these large-scale operations.
Politics Editor
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