Russian phone scam platform used by criminals to defraud victims has been shut down by NCA

Video shows how the National Crime Agency (NCA) has successfully closed down a Russian site that is responsible for an estimated 170,000 phone scams. Russian Coms, established in 2021, is thought to be behind financial losses in the tens of millions.

Used to con victims out of money and personal details

The platform allowed criminals to hide their identity by appearing to call from pre-selected numbers, most commonly of financial institutions, telecommunications companies and law enforcement agencies. This enabled them to gain the trust of victims before stealing their money and personal details.

Bodycam footage (click to play above) shows the moment when armed officers broke open the door to a property linked to the platform. Three individuals were arrested by the NCA, two of whom are believed to have been involved in the creation and development of the platform. They have been released on conditional bail. Law enforcement partners in the UK and overseas, supported by Europol, will take joint action against users over the coming months.

Criminal comms service marketed on Snapchat

Russian Coms was available as a handset and, latterly, as a web app, marketed through Snapchat, Instagram and Telegram. According to adverts shared across social media, the service included “unlimited minutes”, “hold music”, “encrypted phone calls”, “instant handset wipe”, international calls, voice changing services, and 24/7 support.

An example of a typical scam involved offenders spoofing the number of a bank to gain the trust of a victim, before convincing them that their account had been subject to fraudulent activity. They would then be persuaded to transfer their money to another account in order to safeguard their savings.

Used to impersonate reputable companies

The fraudsters were able to access victims’ money in a number of ways. They impersonated reputable companies and stole funds for goods which were never delivered; gained full access to bank accounts; and arranged for the collection of physical debit and credit cards from victims on the pretence that they needed replacing.

The handset could only be used to make spoofed calls. It was loaded with a number of fake applications that had no functionality, to make it look like an everyday smartphone if seized by law enforcement. This was in addition to several VPN apps, allowing the user to hide their IP address, and a burn app that instantly wiped the phone after being activated. A six-month contract cost between £1,200 and £1,400, depending on collection and delivery.

Adrian Searle, Director of the National Economic Crime Centre within the National Crime Agency, said: “Criminals are increasingly using technology to carry out fraud and other crimes on an industrial scale, causing very real harm to victims in the UK and across the world. The NCA and our partners here in the UK and overseas are going after both the criminals and the technology they exploit.”