Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Authorities in Uzbekistan have uncovered a group that allegedly operated a fake call centre and stole about US$8 million from citizens.
The group used cryptocurrency and a shell company to transfer the funds abroad, the State Security Service (SSS) said.
The operation was conducted by the SSS department for Syrdarya Region jointly with the regional department of internal affairs as part of efforts to combat cybercrime.
According to the agency, five residents of Tashkent and Tashkent Region, born between 1989 and 2005, rented non-residential premises in the capital’s Mirabad district and set up a fake call centre.
Another alleged participant, born in 1989, installed a GSM gateway in a rented apartment to support the scheme.
The group was allegedly led by a previously convicted resident of Tashkent Region born in 1979, the SSS said.
Investigators also identified an employee of the cybersecurity unit at the head office of a major bank among those involved.
The group members called citizens while posing as bank employees and warned them of purported attempts to take out loans in their names.
Under the pretext of protecting their accounts, they obtained victims’ personal data, then withdrew money from their bank cards and took out online loans in the victims’ names.
The preliminary investigation identified 10 people allegedly involved in the group’s activities. A criminal case has been opened.
