In Kyrgyzstan, employees of the State National Security Committee (GKNB) have stopped the illegal activities of a group that organized the activation of accounts on popular messaging services such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Lalafo, using the phone numbers of mobile operators in the country. This was reported by the press service of the State National Security Committee.
As law enforcement agencies found out, the members of this group, known as "drop conduits," attracted citizens of Kyrgyzstan to sell their bank cards. The obtained data about the cards and accounts were then passed on to international fraudsters via Telegram to carry out voice phishing schemes, aimed at deceitfully acquiring people's funds.
Phone scammers, posing as employees of the GKNB, workers of the National Bank, and other government officials, made calls to citizens, accusing them of connections with terrorist groups and threatening criminal prosecution for financing these organizations. In addition, the criminal group also sent victims letters with fake accusations, using GKNB letterheads with forged signatures.
As a result of operational measures within the framework of a criminal case, GKNB employees detained several suspects:
- A.B.N., born on February 19, 2008, placed in custody in IK-14 in the village of Voznesenovka, Panfilov district, for two months;
- A.E.K., born on July 9, 2006, placed in pre-trial detention center (SIZO-1) in Bishkek for two months;
- R.Sh.K., born on May 22, 1999, previously convicted multiple times for fraud, placed in GKNB SIZO for two months;
- Zh.K.R., born on November 12, 2001, also previously convicted on several counts, placed in GKNB SIZO for two months;
- T.B.Sh., born on February 12, 2009, released under parental obligations;
- A.u.S., born on April 30, 2004, previously convicted for murder and charged as a defendant under the fraud article, placed in GKNB SIZO for two months;
- A.A.A., born on September 24, 2008, released under parental obligations;
- K.I., born on July 18, 2009, released under parental obligations;
- Dzh.S.A., born on June 1, 1996, placed in SIZO-1 in Bishkek for two months.
Currently, the GKNB continues to conduct investigative actions to identify other accomplices of the phone scammers operating in Kyrgyzstan, with the aim of bringing them to justice.
