Operation supported by Eurojust takes down Ukrainian fraudulent call center

The Eurojust operation mirrors UN concerns over coerced labor in scam call centers, highlighting the intersection of financial crime and human rights abuses.

Authorities in Ukraine have arrested 11 suspects while dismantling a fraudulent call center that defrauded victims across Europe, the EU’s judicial cooperation agency said Monday.

The operation comes as law enforcement agencies worldwide step up efforts to curb such schemes, which are especially widespread in parts of Asia and have been linked to serious human rights abuses.

The call center in Dnipro, Ukraine, was set up to defraud citizens across Europe through a fake cryptocurrency investment scheme. Initial investigations identified victims in Latvia and Lithuania who lost more than 160,000 euros ($188,783), though authorities expect additional victims may exist.

The perpetrators also asked victims to pay for legal support to recover lost funds and used remote access software to transfer money from the victims’ accounts into the group’s bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets.

After at least nine victims came forward, a joint investigation team was formed at Eurojust, enabling authorities from Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine to exchange information and plan a coordinated action day in Ukraine.

Ten suspects were placed in pretrial detention and one under house arrest. Authorities searched 32 locations, seizing electronic equipment, documents, computers, SIM cards, 400,000 euros ($471,924) in cash, two cryptocurrency wallets and eight luxury vehicles. Investigations continue as seized electronic evidence is analyzed.

The operation echoes 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 industrial-scale cyber-enabled fraud operations in Southeast Asia.

Many victims, according to the report, are forced to work in call center-style facilities under strict control, making fraudulent investment or romance calls, often while facing threats, restricted movement, and confiscated documents. OHCHR emphasized the need for a rights-based response, including ensuring victims are not punished for crimes they were compelled to commit.

The case also follows broader reporting on global call center scams. In March 2025, OCCRP published Scam Empire, an investigation revealing how criminal call centers use fake investment schemes to target thousands of victims worldwide, exposing the inner workings of these industrial-scale operations.