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05 January 2025

Ukrainian Phone Scam Fleeces Russians Out Of Billions

Phone fraudsters exploit vulnerabilities, stealing over 250 billion rubles from citizens and targeting the elderly.

The surge of phone scams originating from Ukraine has reached alarming levels, stealing staggering amounts from Russian citizens and drawing the attention of President Vladimir Putin. During his recent live Q&A session, he revealed shocking details: over 250 billion rubles have been lost to these scammers this year alone.

Much of the scam activity is traced back to approximately 400 call centers primarily based in Ukrainian cities such as Dnepropetrovsk. Experts indicate these operations are relentless, making daily call volumes reaching up to 20 million and targeting around 200 unsuspecting Russians every day.

Among the notable victims is the esteemed Russian singer Larisa Dolina, who found herself entangled in one of the year’s most publicized cases. Scammers convinced the 68-year-old artist to sell her luxurious apartment located in the prestigious Khamovniki area for 112 million rubles. Unfortunately, the true financial damage amounted to 200 million rubles when the elaborate scheme was fully uncovered.

The perpetrators impersonated law enforcement agents conducting investigations, presenting Dolina with what they termed as a "sale of the apartment" as part of a supposed “investigative experiment.” After finalizing the sale, they coerced Dolina to transfer funds to what they described as "safe accounts,” only to later declare the apartment sale as fictitious. Now, Dolina is struggling to contest the deal legally, with legal experts stating her chances of reclaiming her property are slim.

Other victims have shared equally heartbreaking stories of financial loss. Just last December, pensioner Svetlana fell prey to similar tactics when scammers, posing as FSB agents, claimed her accounts were being utilized to fund the Ukrainian military. The fear they instilled prompted her to withdraw 150 million rubles and hand it over, which was later converted to cryptocurrency and sent abroad.

Victims are not just robbed of their personal finances but are often manipulated by scammers who turn them unwittingly to labor for their criminal operations. Reports indicate one scam participant disclosed earning nearly half a million dollars over several years by accumulating 7% from every scheme they helped carry out.

The ingenuity of these scams is disquieting; for example, another 70-year-old pensioner and her notary managed to lose 74 million rubles after being threatened with the blocking of their accounts by false representatives of the Central Bank and FSB. They were lured to transfer all their funds to safe accounts under the pretext of fraud protection. They eventually ended up confused and devastated, realizing they had been victims of deception.

Such deceptive scenarios often target vulnerable segments of the population, with elderly individuals particularly at risk. Incidents across the country reveal troubling patterns, such as another case involving a mother and daughter from Orenburg who lost 12 million rubles attempting to purchase cars online; they were misled by fraudulent agreements and requests for additional payments.

Despite some awareness of potential scams, many elderly citizens, like another victim from Ussuriysk, continue to fall for the elaborate tricks, handing over up to 7 million rubles just this year. This issue of phone scams is relentless and worrying, with scammers primarily operating from Ukraine becoming increasingly sophisticated.

Putin’s disclosure points to the urgency of addressing these scams. The scale of fraud is immense, and the methods employed by criminals demonstrate the need for heightened vigilance. Every phone call is potentially a threat to financial security, underscoring the necessity for protective measures and educating the public about the tactics used by these scammers.