This is reported by the National police of Ukraine.
The target of the phone scammers were citizens of Kazakhstan. According to preliminary data, the damage amounted to about 2.5 million hryvnias (about 970,000 Moldovan lei).
The scammers used advanced social engineering tools, including diplofake technology and AI-generated videos. They posed as law enforcement officers, bank or telecom company employees and created the illusion of a threat. Under the pretext of “account protection” or to avoid fictitious criminal prosecution, the attackers convinced people to install malware on their smartphones to steal funds.
According to the investigation, the illegal network was organized by two Odessa residents. International call centers functioned as a well-coordinated system business with its own CRM-system and a clear distribution of roles. The staff included HR managers, administrators, IT specialists and operators of different levels.
During the search, law enforcers detained nine people, seized equipment, records of “black” accounting, cars and cash. They face up to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.
It is not excluded that advanced AI-technologies of deceiving citizens will soon reach Moldova. Moldovan police reports that scammers are constantly finding new ways to steal money from citizens.
Especially since the Ukrainian police press release refers to “international call centers,” and Moldova has already had several scandals related to these organizations founded by Ukrainian citizens.
