In Kazakhstan, a large number of individuals fell victim to a scam in which they received phone calls from individuals pretending to be representatives of their bank. These fraudsters claimed that the victims’ accounts had been hacked and needed their financial information to resolve the issue. However, instead of using this information to protect the victims’ accounts, the fraudsters used it to drain the accounts and steal their money. This scheme affected thousands of people in Kazakhstan, causing financial hardship and stress for those affected.
The Prosecutor General’s Office, the Main Investigative Department of the National Police, the Cyber Police Department, and law enforcement officials in Ukraine discovered the plan. Investigators discovered that 37 agents pretended to work in IT security at banks for Ukrainian people while making calls from a contact center run by three Dnipro locals.
The scammers would send fake emails or make phone calls pretending to be from a bank or credit card company, informing the victim that their account had been compromised. They would then instruct the victim to transfer their money to a “safe” account to protect it. In reality, the scammers controlled the “safe” account, and the victim’s money would be stolen. The scammers were able to trick people into transferring their money because they used official-looking logos and language and often preyed on people who were worried about the security of their accounts. Many people fell victim to this scam because they were unaware of the warning signs and did not take the time to verify the authenticity of the notifications they received.
Once the victims were aware of the suspicious transactions, the scammers gave them loans, then transferred the funds to offshore bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets under their control.
Investigation Outcome
According to investigators’ estimates, over 18,000 people from the Republic of Kazakhstan lost an amount of money that has yet to be determined.
During the raid, the police discovered 45 pieces of computer hardware, including mobile phones, SIM cards, and draft records. These items were found in the personal data databases of both Kazakhstan and Ukraine. The investigation also revealed that money had been stolen from the accounts of the affected citizens. The police seized all of the evidence and are working to determine the extent of the data breach and identify the individuals responsible. It is not yet clear how the perpetrators gained access to the personal data or how long the theft occurred. The authorities are taking steps to protect the affected individuals and prevent further personal data breaches.
The National Police’s Cyber Police Department stated that the organizers “encouraged the operators and provided interest on the money they were able to earn through unlawful means.”
According to the Ukrainian police, an investigation is ongoing, but a criminal complaint has been filed under Ukraine’s Criminal Code’s Article 190, Part 3 (Fraud), which carries an eight-year jail penalty.
Earlier this year, 51 suspects were detained by Ukrainian law enforcement on suspicion of selling the personal information of more than 300 million people globally, including those in Ukraine, the United States, and Europe on hacking forums.
