Court in Dobele to hear case of over €85,000 fraud via Russian call centre

The Zemgale District Court in Dobele will start hearing a criminal case at 15:00 on October 1, involving five Latvian citizens accused of fraud. According to the LETA news agency, the five are suspected of fraudulently obtaining more than €85,000 by using a call centre based in Russia.

Details about the exact fraud scheme, the number of victims, and the specific roles of the accused in the operation have not yet been made public. The court proceedings are expected to shed light on how the fraud was carried out and what connection the defendants had to the call centre in question.

Call-centre fraud — in which criminals operating from abroad contact potential victims and convince them, under various pretexts such as posing as bank employees, investment advisers or officials from state institutions, to transfer money — has become an increasingly common form of crime in Latvia in recent years. Such schemes often involve local residents who act as intermediaries for withdrawing or moving the funds.

The court proceedings in Dobele will continue, during which evidence regarding the defendants' involvement in the scheme will be examined.