Uzbekistan Convicts 34 in “Call Center” Fraud Scheme Targeting Russian Citizens

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Yozyovon District Criminal Court has sentenced 34 members of an organized crime group involved in defrauding Russian citizens, the State Security Service (SSS) of Uzbekistan reported.

Investigations by the SSS in Fergana, together with other law enforcement agencies, revealed that the group, led by a 40-year-old Fergana resident, operated internationally. To conceal their activities, members rented office space in Fergana and Tashkent, presenting them as legitimate call centers.

Using information technology, the group illegally accessed personal data of over 70,000 clients of Russian companies selling pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements. Trained operators then contacted potential victims, primarily elderly individuals, via SIP-telephony and the Zoiper application.

Impersonating law enforcement officers and bank employees, the fraudsters claimed that the companies had sold defective products and that victims were entitled to compensation ranging from 500,000 to 580,000 rubles. To receive these funds, victims were asked to pay a “tax” of 5,000 to 20,000 rubles upfront. As a result, Russian citizens transferred a total of 9,599,561 rubles, approximately US$124,000 or 1.525 billion soums at the current Central Bank rate, to the perpetrators’ bank accounts.

The investigation also revealed that three members conducted unauthorized cryptocurrency transactions worth about US$470,000, or 5.775 billion soums, without a license for crypto operations.

All 34 defendants were convicted under multiple articles of the Uzbek Criminal Code, including fraud, legalization of criminal proceeds, unauthorized access to telecommunications networks, and violations of cryptocurrency regulations.

Twenty-one members received prison sentences ranging from three years and six months to nine years and six months. The remaining 13 were sentenced to restricted freedom for terms between four years and three months and four years and six months. Financial damages suffered by victims will be recovered according to legal procedures.

In June 2025, TASS reported the dismantling of a network of call centers in Uzbekistan and Belarus linked to the theft of funds from Russian citizens. At that time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Cybersecurity Center noted that about 30 people had been detained in Tashkent and Fergana as part of the investigation.