Russia Closes Down Illegal Call Centers Engaging in Widespread Fraud Across Multiple Nations, Including India

Moscow, Dec 9 (NationPress) The Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia disclosed on Monday that it has conducted raids to dismantle an international network of call centers engaged in mass fraud against individuals in numerous countries, including India.

Moscow reported that these illegal activities were orchestrated for the benefit of D. Kazerashvili, the former Defence Minister of Georgia and founder of the Milton Group, who is said to be currently evading capture in London.

The statement from the FSB indicated that the call centers were part of an international organized crime syndicate that, masquerading as investment transactions, perpetrated massive fraud against citizens from the EU, Great Britain, Canada, Brazil, India, Japan, and more. Approximately 100,000 individuals across over 50 countries fell victim to their illicit schemes, with daily profits from these criminal activities reaching $1 million.

The FSB, which operates under the oversight of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has the mandate to enforce the government's policies in matters of national security, counterterrorism, and the protection of the state’s borders, internal waters, and their natural resources, in addition to coordinating counterintelligence activities among federal executive bodies.

Furthermore, the FSB's announcement highlighted that through operational investigative measures, the leaders of these call centers in Russia were identified, including Keselman Ya.D., a citizen of Israel and Ukraine (who has been detained), and Todva D., a citizen of Israel and Georgia (who is currently wanted). In 2022, on the orders from the SBU, they facilitated the distribution of anonymous alerts regarding potential terrorist attacks targeting critical infrastructure in Moscow, Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod.

In relation to the criminal case initiated by the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia, law enforcement has apprehended eleven executives and staff members of the Russian branches of these call centers under Article 210 (Organization of a criminal community), Part 4 of Article 159 (Fraud on an especially large scale), and Part 3 of Article 207 (Knowingly false report of an act of terrorism) of the Russian Criminal Code. Ongoing operational searches and investigative processes are continuing.