A large-scale online fraud scheme that victimized residents across 16 regions of Kazakhstan has been uncovered in the Aktobe region, according to the website infohub.kz.
Officers from the Financial Monitoring Agency (AFM) in the Aktobe region are investigating a criminal case involving complicity in online fraud, illegal entrepreneurship, drop services, and money laundering.
"According to the investigation, a criminal group operated in Aktobe, creating a stable scheme for receiving, converting, and laundering money stolen from citizens through phone and online fraud. The group had more than ten members. The organizers involved over 150 droppers to carry out the scheme," the agency's official Telegram channel reported.
Group members used pre-configured mobile phones with banking apps and cryptocurrency wallets, allowing them to remotely control dropper accounts and conduct financial transactions without their involvement. Using blockchain analytics tools, investigators reconstructed the complete money laundering scheme.
"First, the victims' money passed through transit bank accounts, then went to accounts controlled by droppers. It was then directed to a cryptocurrency platform to purchase USDT digital assets. To give the transactions an appearance of legality, fake loan agreements and shell companies were used. In the final stage, the illicit funds were cashed out and exchanged into foreign currency," the AFM detailed.
So far, 80 victims from 16 regions have been identified. The total damage exceeds 120 million tenge. Eight group members have been taken into custody, while two suspects have been placed under house arrest. With court approval, authorities have seized the suspects' property, including eight apartments, a car, and digital assets worth 52,000 USDT. The investigation is ongoing.