The key facts
- Seven residents of Udmurtia are accused of running a SIM box network for telephone fraudsters, controlled from abroad
- The group rented six apartments in Izhevsk and involved a dealer of mobile operators to register numbers in the names of straw owners
- The network was uncovered by FSB officers; the case was sent to the Industrial District Court of Izhevsk
Fraud call center network in Izhevsk sent to court
Seven residents of Udmurtia will stand trial on charges of organizing the operation of a telephone fraud network controlled from abroad. This was reported by the republic's prosecutor's office. The criminal case has been sent to the Industrial District Court of Izhevsk.
How the scheme worked
According to the investigation, the criminal group operated in Izhevsk from August 2025 to February 2026. Its members rented six apartments in different districts of the city, installed SIM boxes there — equipment allowing the use of multiple phone numbers — and kept it running without interruption. Through the network they created, fraudsters could make mass calls to Russians, attempting to steal their money. The group members regularly received payment for their activities.
The role of a mobile operator dealer
A dealer of several mobile operators was also involved in the scheme. According to the investigation, he arranged for phone numbers to be registered in the names of straw owners, after which the SIM cards were used to operate the equipment.
Detention and charges
The illegal network was uncovered and dismantled by FSB officers. The defendants were charged under articles on the illegal use of equipment for routing telephone traffic and on violating the rules for transferring subscriber numbers.
Similar cases
Life.ru previously reported the detention in Saint Petersburg of a 19-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man who, according to the investigation, set up a communications node for telephone fraudsters. In September 2026, handlers from Ukraine recruited the young people via Telegram, handed them SIM boxes and distributed duties: the suspects serviced the equipment, while the woman additionally moved the equipment between addresses to conceal its location. The criminal activity was stopped by officers of the Investigative Committee, the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
