Criminal Police Uncover Another Fake Call Center

The Cybercrime Division of the Criminal Police has uncovered another group engaged in illegal activities, operating a large-scale theft scheme through internet calls. Based on comprehensive analysis of the received information, a report regarding the crime was submitted to the investigative body, and criminal proceedings were initiated.

On March 9, agents from the Cybercrime Division and the Investigative Committee’s Special Cases Division conducted a joint raid on a private house in the Davtashen district of Yerevan. Notably, the criminal group had previously established a unique defensive system; the premises were equipped with external surveillance devices, which were intended to disable the power of the building within seconds upon detecting law enforcement, thus erasing or making all digital traces of their criminal activities inaccessible.

Thanks to the rapid and skillful actions of law enforcement, the destruction of digital evidence critical to the investigation was successfully prevented. The group, consisting of 14 individuals identified by law enforcement, operated with an organized and meticulously planned criminal scheme.

Through operational-intelligence activities, it was discovered that group members rented a private house, undertook special work to camouflage internal lighting for secrecy, and equipped the area with modern computing technology and communication tools.

The core of their operations involved the use of the Airdrop scam method. Specifically, by creating a fake investment platform and skillfully hiding their identity, they operated under aliases. Utilizing excellent communication skills and proficiency in several foreign languages, they targeted foreign citizens by providing false information about investments purportedly ensuring high returns in the cryptocurrency market, leading to large-scale thefts.

According to Hayk Mkrtchyan, head of the Cybercrime Division of the Criminal Police, preliminary data indicates that the criminal group had call centers both in Armenia and abroad. Currently, efforts are underway with foreign partners to fully expose the center’s operations and to clarify the extent of the damages incurred.

Necessary procedural actions are being undertaken to clarify the details of the criminal scheme and the network of participants. The investigation is ongoing.