Verkhovna Rada passes law strengthening liability for working in fraudulent call centres

Parliament strengthens fight against cyber fraud

On 28 October, the Verkhovna Rada voted for a bill aimed at strengthening liability for participation in the work of fraudulent call centres. This is evidenced by an official statement from the Verkhovna Rada.

Head of state's initiative

This concerns the adoption of Law No. 16013, initiated by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. The head of state designated this document as urgent.

The decision was supported by 270 people's deputies. The main objective of the regulatory act is to protect bank accounts and citizens' funds from cyber fraud.

What is punishable under the law

The new document improves mechanisms for countering financial fraud. In particular, criminal liability is introduced for the transfer, receipt, purchase, or storage of access means to bank accounts, electronic wallets, and "drop accounts" used in criminal schemes.

Level of punishment

The maximum punishment for creating a fraudulent group and leading it is 12 years. It is important to understand that this is not an automatic sentence for every call centre employee.

Specific liability depends on the actions committed by the individual, as well as the circumstances established by the investigation and the court.

Definition of a criminal group

The law defines an electronic-communication fraudulent organised group as an association of three or more persons who have organised in advance for the systematic appropriation of another's property or the acquisition of a right to property through deception or abuse of trust.

This refers to criminals acting according to an agreed plan with a division of functions. Telephone communication, the internet, and other electronic communications may be used for fraud.