A network of cybercriminal call centres used for financial scams and crypto heists is taken down by the National Police of Ukraine. Based on reports, these call centres are targeting victims of cryptocurrency scams and offering them a helping hand to recover their funds. However, instead of helping the victims, the threat actors will make it worse by scamming them further.
These fraudsters operating these malicious call centres were also believed to be scamming Ukrainians and the European Union countries. Moreover, the countries interested in cryptocurrency, oil, gold, investments, and securities are the group’s top targets.
Researchers identified that these operations use software and high-end equipment to spoof the phone numbers of state banking firms. This attack has continuously employed these tools to attack more targets.
The NPU revealed that during their investigation, the call centre employees introduced themselves to the target as bank representatives. Subsequently, these “bank employees” will start to use social engineering tactics to earn the trust of their targets.
Moreover, the developers of this scheme utilised previously created platforms and websites for exchange trading of currency and cryptocurrency, gold, oil, and securities to attract funds from foreign that will guarantee their profit in a short period.
The cybercriminal call centre employees also introduced themselves as cryptocurrency brokers.
Employees of this cybercriminal call centre present themselves as a “Community of cryptocurrency brokers.” The adversaries also utilised contact information owned by previous victims of other cryptocurrency scammers to trick them so that they could aid them in recovering stolen funds in exchange for some commission.
Unfortunately, the threat actors obstruct all target communication after tricking it into transferring the money to an attacker-controlled account.
Ukrainian authorities confirmed these illegal transactions after authorised searchers at the location of several alleged call centres were connected to this cybercriminal operation. In addition, several confiscated computer equipment, data records, and mobile phones serve as evidence.
The authorities investigate individuals linked to these fraud operations as part of an organised malicious threat group. These individuals may face a year-long conviction if proven guilty.
