Georgian Prosecutor’s Office and International Cooperation Expose Transnational Fraud
According to the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office, large-scale actions against fraudulent call centers in 23 countries, including Georgia, were carried out with the participation of the Office and representatives of relevant agencies of 11 countries.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, a large-scale operation was carried out on the territory of Georgia in July 2023 in cooperation with Swiss colleagues. The aim was to uncover fraudulent call centers of a transnational nature and the persons involved in their organization, which operated not only in Georgia but also in many EU Member States.
The joint investigation revealed that the members of the organized group used hundreds of websites to create the impression of reliable investment companies and offered victims various types of lucrative financial deals. The organized group targeted citizens of EU member states, mainly in Switzerland and Germany. According to the information available at this stage, the losses amount to several million euros.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, within the framework of the operation held in Georgia, several call centers, dozens of individuals, their homes, cars and workplaces were searched. Devices containing electronic information were confiscated. Real estate, bank accounts and money deposited in them were confiscated.
According to the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, the investigation into the investment scam started in October 2019, following a complaint from a victim to the Swiss authorities. This uncovered fraudulent call centers and websites of alleged financial trading companies in Ukraine, and later also in Georgia. The investigation was temporarily suspended due to the war in Ukraine. At the end of 2022, however, targeted actions were taken in 23 countries, where places were searched and bank accounts and assets were frozen.
Also Read:
- 18/02/2022 – Five Arrested in Alleged International Fraud Scheme
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
