On April 18, the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office, alongside European counterparts to combat transnational fraudulent call centres, arrested four more members of an organized crime group on charges related to fraudulent call centres.

The Prosecutor’s Office reports that the investigation revealed the group’s activities included establishing companies and organizing fraudulent call centres in Georgia. The members created electronic trading platforms with various brand names and used websites to appear as reliable investment companies, offering victims attractive financial deals. Ultimately, they would steal the victims’ funds and launder them.
The group fraudulently acquired around three million Swiss francs from Swiss citizens. To conceal the illicit origins of the funds, the group placed them in bank accounts they controlled and invested them, including in real estate.

Real and movable property worth up to 6 million GEL owned by the accused has been seized, preventing further disposal or concealment. The Prosecutor’s Office intends to pursue legal action to confiscate these criminal assets in favour of the state.

The accused face charges of fraud and money laundering committed by an organized group, which carry prison sentences of 9 to 12 years. At the request of the Prosecutor’s Office, the court has detained the accused as a preventative measure.

On February 3, 2024, the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia began criminal prosecution against seven organizers of an organized crime group as part of the ongoing investigation into fraudulent call centres. The Prosecutor’s Office, in coordination with Eurojust and international partners, continues to investigate potential accomplices involved in fraudulent call centre activities and transnational crimes across different countries.