Suspects in Kyiv cyberfraud targeting Azerbaijanis brought to Azerbaijan

Latest update · 12:28First report ↓

Organizers of a cyberfraud network wanted internationally for deceiving Azerbaijani citizens while posing as law enforcement officers and stealing their money have been detained and brought to Azerbaijan.

“Operative Information Center-OMM” reports that the statement was made by the Interior Ministry’s press service.

The statement said cybercrime has caused annual losses to the global economy that have risen by 75% over the past five years, from $6 trillion to $10.5 trillion. The threats posed by cybercrime, which is widespread across the world, also affect Azerbaijan.

The transnational nature of cybercrime, the operation of criminal networks across several countries and the use of modern technology in illegal financial transactions make efforts to combat it increasingly important. Preventing such crimes requires not only detecting individual offenses but also identifying their organizers, foreign links and financial mechanisms.

The latest operation in this area, carried out by the Interior Ministry’s Main Department for Combating Cybercrime (MDCC) and Ukrainian police in Ukraine, has exposed the international organization of cyberfraud and the targeting of Azerbaijani citizens by organized networks run from abroad.

The operation uncovered an organized cyberfraud network run from Ukraine to steal money from Azerbaijani citizens. Investigators found that the network operated through call centers set up in several Ukrainian cities under the guise of various service offices. To recruit new members, the network posted job advertisements on Telegram promising high salaries in information technology and customer service. As a result, citizens of some countries were recruited to the centers operating illegally in Ukraine. At the call centers, network members used specially prepared scripts and psychological manipulation to call Azerbaijani citizens. Posing as employees of law enforcement agencies, mobile operators, banks and investment companies, they falsely claimed that suspicious transactions had been made on victims’ accounts, their money was at risk, their bank cards would be blocked or illegal financial transactions were being carried out in their names. In other cases, they used fake investment offers promising high returns to lure citizens into cyberfraud.

Exploiting the fear and anxiety they created, or victims’ desire for easy profits, network members pressured people to make hasty decisions, transfer money to supposedly secure accounts, and disclose bank card details, SMS verification codes and other confidential passwords. In an operation conducted in cooperation with Ukraine’s Interior Ministry, 11 people working at illegal call centers in Kyiv were detained and brought to Azerbaijan, including the network’s alleged main organizers, Nariman Iskenderov, Elsun Aliyev, Elshad Musayev and Elshan Shukurov, who had been placed on international wanted lists. Investigators found that Ruslan Zakirov, Yasaf Bayramov, Elsevar Mammadov, Dmitri Dushin and Ruslan Matveyev communicated with network members abroad through Telegram and took part in laundering proceeds from the cyberfraud. They pooled the stolen money in bank card accounts under their control, kept an agreed percentage and converted the remainder into cryptocurrency before sending it abroad. Criminal proceedings have been initiated under relevant articles of the Criminal Code. A court ordered the alleged gang leaders held in pretrial detention. Investigations into the other detainees are ongoing. Authorities stressed that public vigilance, alongside coordinated law enforcement efforts and international cooperation, is essential in combating cybercrime. They urged citizens to be wary of suspicious job offers on social media promising high salaries and easy earnings, never share bank card details, SMS verification codes or other confidential passwords with strangers, verify claims made during suspicious calls through official sources, and promptly report cyberfraud to police.