TLDR A Kyiv court convicted three men for operating an illegal casino hidden on the ninth floor of a business centre The same group ran a fraudulent crypto call centre on the fourth floor of the building, promising investors 5% daily returns Fines totalling over UAH 2.3 million were imposed and more than $20,000 was confiscated by the state The call centre investigation has been handed over to Ukraine’s National Police for further examination Ukraine continues cracking down on underground gambling and financial scams since partially legalising gambling in 2020
A Kyiv city court has convicted three men for running an illegal casino inside a multi-storey business centre while simultaneously operating a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment call centre in the same building.
The underground casino was set up on the ninth floor of a commercial office building in Kyiv. A call centre used to solicit clients and process payments operated from the fourth floor.
The investigation was carried out by detectives from the Territorial Directorate of the State Bureau of Economic Security, known as BEB, back in 2024. The accused included a Kyiv resident and two accomplices.
How the Crypto Fraud Worked
Call centre employees contacted potential victims and promoted investments in what they described as an automated cryptocurrency trading system. They told investors the system could generate returns of up to 5% per day.
Once victims transferred their money, the fraudsters cut off all communication. No legitimate trading system existed behind the promises.
The defendants were charged under the Criminal Code of Ukraine for illegal organisation and running gambling activities as an organised group. The charges fell under part 3 of Article 28 and part 2 of Article 203-2.
The court fined the alleged organiser UAH 799,000, which is roughly $18,191. Each of the two accomplices received