---
title: "Up to 12 Years in Prison: Verkhovna Rada Passes Law on Liability for Fraudulent Call Centers"
description: "On October 28, the Verkhovna Rada adopted Draft Law No. 16013, introducing criminal liability for participation in fraudulent call centers: organizers face up to 12 years in prison."
date: 2026-10-28T13:30:14.137Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/rada-passes-law-liability-fraudulent-call-centers
tags: [ukraine, verkhovna-rada, cyber-fraud, call-centers, criminal-law, zelensky]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Up to 12 Years in Prison: Verkhovna Rada Passes Law on Liability for Fraudulent Call Centers

![Session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in the assembly hall with the rostrum and deputies](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/28/rada-prinyala-zakon-o-otvetstvennosti-za-moshennicheskie-koll-tsentry/rada-prinyala-zakon-o-otvetstvennosti-za-moshennicheskie-koll-tsentry-1.webp)

## Key Points

- On October 28, 2026, the Verkhovna Rada adopted Draft Law No. 16013, initiated by President Zelenskyy and designated as urgent—270 deputies voted for it.
- The law introduces criminal liability for the transfer, receipt, acquisition, or storage of access means to bank accounts, electronic wallets, and "drop accounts".
- A maximum sentence of 12 years in prison is provided for creating and leading a fraudulent group; a differentiated term, including over 10 years, is set for employees, recruiters, and premises providers.
- The law defines an electronic communication fraudulent organized group as an association of three or more persons acting according to a coordinated plan, and provides for exemption from punishment for those who report it to law enforcement.

On October 28, 2026, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine voted to adopt Draft Law No. 16013, which strengthens criminal liability for participation in the operation of fraudulent call centers. The document was initiated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who designated the bill as urgent. A total of 270 MPs voted in favor of the document. The law aims to protect citizens' bank accounts and funds from cyberfraud and to improve mechanisms for countering financial criminal schemes.

### What the Law Specifically Introduces

The key innovation of the document is the introduction of criminal liability for the transfer, receipt, acquisition, or storage of access means to bank accounts, electronic wallets, and so-called "drop accounts" used in criminal schemes. Thus, the law expands the list of acts subject to criminal liability, covering not only the direct appropriation of funds but also the maintenance of the infrastructure for fraudulent operations—including the illegal use of bank cards and citizens' personal data.

### Who Bears Responsibility and For What

It is important to understand that the maximum sentence of 12 years in prison is stipulated for the creation and leadership of a fraudulent group, rather than as an automatic punishment for every call center employee. Specific liability depends on the actions committed by an individual and the circumstances established by the investigation and the court. According to publications dedicated to the text of the bill, punishments are differentiated: organizers and leaders of "offices" face the strictest sentence, employees ("office workers") face imprisonment of over 10 years, and liability is also provided for those who provide premises or services, as well as for recruiters for such call centers.

### How the Law Defines an Organized Group

The document introduces the concept of an electronic communication fraudulent organized group—an association of three or more persons who have pre-organized for the systematic appropriation of someone else's property or obtaining the right to property through deception or abuse of trust. This refers to scheme participants acting according to a coordinated plan with a distribution of functions. Telephone communications, the internet, and other electronic communication tools may be used to commit the fraud. The law also provides for exemption from punishment for a person who notifies law enforcement agencies about the activity or creation of such a criminal organization; however, a person who independently created an "office" will not be exempt from punishment.

### Context: Scale of the Problem and Other Decisions of the Day

The adoption of the law takes place against the backdrop of public assessments of the phenomenon's scale: according to specialized media outlets, fraudulent call centers in Ukraine, by some estimates, generate up to a billion dollars a month and employ tens of thousands of workers, making the toughening of liability a top priority in combating cybercrime. Recall that on September 2, Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported sending two bills to the Verkhovna Rada on toughening liability for organizing fraudulent call centers. Separately, on the same day of October 28, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the state budget for 2027 in the first reading, as we also reported, including the document's main indicators and a record number of submitted amendments.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [До 12 лет заключения за мошеннические колл-центры: Рада поддержала законопроект Зеленского](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/12-rokiv-uv-yaznennya-shahrayski-kol-tsentri-1793187064.html) - Primary source: adoption of law No. 16013, 270 votes, initiator Zelenskyy, 12 years for creating/leading a group, definition of an organized group, 2027 budget in the first reading.
- [Мошеннические колл-центры под ударом: организаторам грозит до 12 лет тюрьмы](https://www.stopcor.org/section-suspilstvo/news-shahrajski-kol-tsentri-pid-udarom-organizatoram-zagrozhue-do-12-rokiv-vyaznitsi-28-10-2026.html) - Confirms the toughening of criminal liability for call center operations, illegal use of bank cards, and personal data.
- [За работу в "офисе" — до 10 лет: какие наказания грозят мошенническим колл-центрам согласно ...](https://focus.ua/ukraine/766567-za-rabotu-v-ofise-do-10-let-kakie-nakazaniya-grozyat-moshennicheskim-koll-centram-soglasno-zakonoproektu-zelenskogo) - Differentiation of punishments: over 10 years for employees, liability of recruiters and premises providers, exemption for those who report to law enforcement; two bills submitted on September 2.
- [Миллиард долларов на обмане: кто стоит за украинскими колл-центрами и изменит ли что-то "закон ...](https://focus.ua/eksklyuzivy/766643-moshennicheskie-koll-centry-v-ukraine-kto-stoit-za-shemami-i-chto-izmenit-zakon-zelenskogo) - Scale assessment (up to $1 billion/month, tens of thousands of workers) is cited as media data, not as a legal norm.

## FAQ

### What is Draft Law No. 16013 and who initiated it?

This is a bill on strengthening liability for participation in the operation of fraudulent call centers, initiated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and designated as urgent. On October 28, 2026, it was supported by 270 MPs.

### Do 12 years in prison threaten every call center employee?

No. The maximum sentence of 12 years in prison is stipulated for creating and leading a fraudulent group. Specific liability depends on an individual's actions and circumstances established by the investigation and court; a differentiated term, including over 10 years, is provided for employees.

### What specifically becomes criminalized under the new law?

Criminal liability is introduced for the transfer, receipt, acquisition, or storage of access means to bank accounts, electronic wallets, and "drop accounts" used in criminal schemes, as well as for organizing and participating in fraudulent call centers.

### How does the law define a fraudulent organized group?

As an association of three or more persons who pre-organized for the systematic appropriation of someone else's property or obtaining the right to property through deception or abuse of trust, acting according to a coordinated plan with a distribution of functions using telephony, the internet, and other electronic communications.

### Is it possible to be exempted from punishment?

Yes, the law provides for exemption from punishment for a person who notifies law enforcement agencies about the activity or creation of such a criminal organization. However, a person who independently created an "office" will not be exempt from punishment.