---
title: "Verkhovna Rada Adopts Law on Criminal Liability for Fraudulent Call Centers: 313 Votes in Favor of the Formal Offense Composition"
description: "The Verkhovna Rada adopted draft law No. 10190 (313 votes), introducing a formal offense composition for fraud through call centers and the unlawful collection of personal data. The law was signed by Zelenskyy on September 16, 2026."
date: 2026-09-16T08:30:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/rada-adopts-law-on-fraudulent-call-centers
tags: [ukraine, fraud, call-centers, criminal-code, personal-data, verkhovna-rada, zelensky]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Verkhovna Rada Adopts Law on Criminal Liability for Fraudulent Call Centers: 313 Votes in Favor of the Formal Offense Composition

![Fraud call center operation: a criminal with a phone connected to a laptop running code, the activity now covered by the new criminal liability law](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/16/rada-prinyala-zakon-o-moshennicheskikh-koll-tsentrah/rada-prinyala-zakon-o-moshennicheskikh-koll-tsentrah-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The Verkhovna Rada adopted draft law No. 10190 by a majority of 313 votes, strengthening criminal liability for fraud through call centers
- The law introduces a formal offense composition: the fact of the unlawful act is sufficient for liability, without proven theft
- The document supplements the Criminal Code with articles on liability for the unlawful collection, storage, and use of personal data with the aim of appropriating property
- In parallel, a draft law on "drops" is supported, with fines and imprisonment of up to 8 years for transferring bank cards to fraudsters
- The law was signed by President Zelenskyy on September 16, 2026

On September 16, 2026, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted as a whole draft law No. 10190, which strengthens criminal liability for fraud committed through so-called "black" call centers, as well as for the unlawful collection and use of citizens' personal data. The document was supported by 313 members of parliament. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a statement from the parliament. The law was signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the same day and entered into force as a regulatory act.

### New Articles of the Criminal Code

The adopted document supplements the Criminal Code of Ukraine with new articles establishing criminal liability for the unlawful collection, storage, and use of citizens' personal data with the aim of appropriating someone else's property. According to the explanatory note to the draft law, law enforcement agencies previously found it extremely difficult to prove such offenses, as the existing version of the code required confirmation of the final result — the actual theft of funds. The new version removes this limitation by introducing what is known as a formal offense composition.

### Formal Composition: the Act Itself Is Sufficient

The key innovation of the law is the introduction of a formal offense composition. This means that to hold a person criminally liable, law enforcement no longer needs to prove that the fraudster actually appropriated someone else's money or property. It is enough to establish the fact of the unlawful act itself — for example, the organization of a call center, the systematic collection of personal data, or its transfer to third parties. As noted in the explanatory note, this approach is intended to more effectively counter systemic fraud schemes, including financial pyramids and mass phishing calls.

### Context: the Problem of "Office Workers" and Black Call Centers

In Ukrainian criminal practice, the term "office workers" (ofisnyky) has become established — referring to people who work in illegal call centers and, following scripts, call citizens to lure them into revealing personal data of bank cards, SMS codes, or access to electronic wallets. According to expert estimates, the number of such schemes has grown manifold in recent years, with victims ranging from pensioners to young professionals. The adopted law, in essence, equates the activities of such call centers with organized criminal activity, allowing law enforcement agencies to detain not only the "leaders" of the schemes but also ordinary executors.

### Related Draft Law on "Drops"

In parallel with the law on call centers, the Verkhovna Rada previously supported in principle a separate draft law aimed at so-called "drops" — individuals who transfer or sell their bank cards, settlement accounts, and SIM cards to fraudsters. This document provides for fines and imprisonment of up to eight years for those who knowingly provide their financial infrastructure for the commission of crimes. Experts note that the combination of both laws creates a more complete system for countering fraud chains: from data collection to the withdrawal of stolen funds.

### Contradictory Data

In characterizing the adopted document, there is a slight discrepancy in emphasis between sources. RBC-Ukraine and the official statement of the Verkhovna Rada emphasize that the law introduces a formal offense composition for the unlawful collection and use of personal data. At the same time, the outlet Ukranews characterizes the innovation in its headline as "equating call centers with organized crime," which is a broader and more evaluative formulation. In fact, according to the explanatory note, the text of the law operates with the concept of a formal composition and does not directly introduce the qualification of an "organized group" under Article 255 of the Criminal Code. The difference, therefore, is editorial and interpretive in nature, but it may affect the perception of the scale of the reform by a broad audience.

The President's signing of the law on September 16, 2026, completes the legislative cycle and paves the way for the practical application of the new norms by law enforcement agencies. Analysts expect that in the coming months the prosecutor's office and the National Police will adapt their investigation methods to the new formal composition, which may lead to a sharp increase in the number of criminal proceedings related to the activities of "black" call centers.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Rada adopts law against "fraudulent" call centers](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/rada-uhvalila-zakon-proti-shahrayskih-kol-1789547136.html) - Подтверждает принятие закона, номер законопроекта 10190, 313 голосов, формальный состав преступления
- [Zelenskyy signs law on criminal liability for fraudulent call centers](https://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2026/09/16/8053799/) - Подтверждает факт подписания президентом 16.09.2026, дополняет хронологию
- [Rada takes on "black" call centers: who are the "office workers" and what punishment awaits them](https://news.telegraf.com.ua/ukraina/5950107-rada-vzyalas-za-chernye-koll-tsentry-kto-takie-ofisniki-i-kakoe-nakazanie-im-svetit) - Даёт контекст по термину «офисники», описывает механизм работы колл-центров
- [Call centers to be equated with organized crime: Rada adopts long-awaited law](https://ukranews.com/news/1175258-koll-tsentry-priravnyayut-k-organizovannoj-prestupnosti-rada-prinyala-dolgozhdannyj-zakon) - Заголовок использует более широкую формулировку «приравнивание к ОПГ», тогда как текст закона оперирует формальным составом. Факт принятия подтверждён.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What is a formal offense composition and how does it differ from the previous approach?
**A:** A formal composition means that for criminal prosecution it is enough to prove the fact of the unlawful act itself (for example, the organization of a call center or the collection of personal data), rather than the final result in the form of actual theft. Previously, law enforcement had to prove that the fraudster actually appropriated property, which was extremely difficult in mass schemes.

### Q: What is the number of the adopted draft law and how many deputies voted for it?
**A:** This concerns draft law No. 10190. Its adoption as a whole was supported by 313 members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

### Q: What is a "drop" and what punishment is provided for their activities?
**A:** A "drop" is a person who transfers or sells their bank cards, settlement accounts, or SIM cards to fraudsters for the withdrawal of stolen funds. A separate draft law, supported by the Rada in principle, provides for fines and imprisonment of up to eight years.

### Q: Has the law been signed by the President?
**A:** Yes. According to data from pravda.com.ua, Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the law on criminal liability for fraudulent call centers on September 16, 2026.

### Q: Who does the law primarily affect?
**A:** The law is aimed at the organizers and workers of illegal call centers (so-called "office workers"), as well as individuals who systematically collect, store, and use citizens' personal data with the aim of subsequent fraud. The formal composition allows liability to be imposed not only on the "leaders" of the schemes but also on ordinary executors.