The UK’s National Crime Agency has dismantled Russian Coms, a major fraud platform responsible for global financial losses. With key arrests and ongoing investigations, this marks a significant step in combating international cybercrime.
In a major crackdown on international fraud, the National Crime Agency (NCA) in the UK has successfully shut down a sophisticated platform known as Russian Coms, which facilitated financial losses in the tens of millions across the globe.
The operation, supported by law enforcement partners worldwide and Europol, has resulted in the arrest of three individuals and the disruption of hundreds of criminals involved in various fraudulent schemes.
Russian Coms, established in 2021, provided criminals with the tools to hide their identities and impersonate legitimate organizations such as banks, telecommunications companies, and law enforcement agencies. This deception allowed them to gain the trust of victims before stealing their money and personal information.
According to NCA’s press release, over a period of three years, the platform facilitated over 1.3 million calls to more than 500,000 unique UK phone numbers, with an estimated 170,000 UK citizens falling victim to the scams.
The average financial loss reported to Action Fraud by UK victims was over £9,400. The fraudsters employed a range of tactics, including impersonating banks to convince victims that their accounts were compromised and persuading them to transfer funds to supposedly secure accounts.
Other scams involved stealing funds for non-existent goods, gaining full access to bank accounts, and arranging for the collection of physical debit and credit cards under false pretences.
Russian Coms was available as a handset and a web app, marketed primarily through social media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, and Telegram. The service boasted features like “unlimited minutes,” “hold music,” “encrypted phone calls,” “instant handset wipe,” international calls, voice-changing services, and 24/7 support. However, the so-called “flagship service” came at a steep price, with six-month contracts costing between £1,200 and £1,400, paid in cryptocurrency.
In March 2024, following extensive intelligence gathering and investigative work, NCA officers arrested two men, aged 26 and 28, in Newham, London, suspected of being the platform’s developers and administrators. The following month, the platform was taken down.
In April, a 28-year-old man from Newham believed to be a close affiliate and handset courier, was also arrested. Recently, a user of the platform was apprehended in Potters Bar by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit, with further arrests expected in the coming months.
Today, the NCA can reveal that they have shut down a platform used by hundreds of criminals to defraud victims across the world.
— National Crime Agency (NCA) (@NCA_UK) August 1, 2024
FULL STORY ➡️ https://t.co/XMtmrnhi3Q pic.twitter.com/toStq5jpRC
Adrian Searle, Director of the National Economic Crime Centre within the NCA, emphasized the growing use of technology by criminals to commit fraud on a massive scale. He warned that while these services promise anonymity, they also store users’ data, making them vulnerable to identification and prosecution.
Fraud accounts for approximately 40% of all crimes against individuals in England and Wales, with over 80% believed to be technology-enabled. Law enforcement agencies, including the City of London Police, are urging the public to take steps to protect themselves from fraud, such as verifying the identity of callers before sharing personal or financial information.
The crackdown on Russian Coms sends a strong message to criminals involved in fraud that law enforcement agencies are actively monitoring and disrupting their operations. The UK government has pledged to continue collaborating with law enforcement and industry to better protect the public and businesses from fraud.
