A sophisticated platform used to scam 170,000 Brits out of millions of pounds has been shut down by the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Russian Coms, established since 2021, supplied users with a handset that looked exactly like a mobile phone but allowed fraudsters to choose any number to appear to be calling from.
Criminals often used numbers of financial institutions, telecommunication companies and law enforcement agencies to scam victims out of their life savings.
Between 2021 and 2024, more than 1.3million calls were made by Russian Coms users to 500,000 UK phone numbers.
Of those who made a report to Action Fraud, the average loss was more than £9,400, with some victims losing hundreds of thousands.
A sophisticated platform used to scam 170,000 Brits out of millions of pounds has been shut down by the National Crime Agency (NCA)
Three individuals have been arrested by the National Crime Agency, including two men aged 26 and 28 detained in east London in March who are believed to be the platform’s developers and administrators.
That month, the platform was taken down.
Russian Coms, not affiliated with the Russian state, was first available as a handset and later as a web app.
The platform was marketed on Snapchat, Instagram and Telegram with glossy adverts offering ‘unlimited minutes’ and even ‘hold music.’
The handset, which could be bought for between £1,200 and £1,400 with a six-month contract, looked like a normal phone but could only be used to make spoofed calls.
The web app was marketed as a ‘flagship service’ that allowed full access to the Russian Coms platform and cost £350 per month, to be paid in cryptocurrency.
The platform provided a service that could alter the criminals’ voices and accents, and had an ‘instant handset wipe’ feature that allowed fraudsters to delete all data with a swipe of the phone.
Scammers would often ‘spoof’ the number of a bank to gain a victim’s trust, before convincing them that their account had been subject to fraudulent activity.
They would then be persuaded to transfer their money to another account to safeguard their savings.
Fraudsters would also impersonate reputable companies and steal funds for goods that were never delivered, gain full access to bank accounts and arrange for the collection of physical debit and credit cards on the pretence that they needed replacing.
Calls were made to people in 107 different countries, including the US, New Zealand, Norway and France.
Adrian Searle, Director of the National Economic Crime Centre within the National Crime Agency, said criminals were increasingly using technology to carry out fraud and other crimes on an ‘industrial scale.’ ‘It’s whack-a-mole territory for us at the moment as new technologies emerge,’ he added.
‘Law enforcement and governments need to keep ahead of that and we can only do that with the support of the technology companies that are able to provide these platforms in the first place.’
Scammers would often ‘spoof’ the number of a bank to gain a victim’s trust, before convincing them that their account had been subject to fraudulent activity (stock photo)
Fraud accounts for about 40 per cent of all crime in England and Wales, with more than 80 per cent thought to be technology-enabled.
Temporary assistant commissioner at the City of London Police, Nik Adams, advised: ‘If you receive a phone call out of the blue from your bank, financial provider or other official organisation, even if you think it is legitimate, hang up and redial the number on the back of your bank card.
‘No official organisation will pressure you to make an immediate financial decision or put pressure on you to reveal your personal details.’
Home Office minister Lord Sir David Hanson said fraud was a devastating crime which could affect everyone.
‘That’s why this action from the NCA is so significant, shutting down an illegal platform used by hundreds of criminals, and disrupting the flow of funds that their networks rely on to operate,’ he added.
‘It also sends a vital message to others committing fraud – law enforcement is monitoring you, you will be caught, and you will be dealt with using the full force of the law.’
