--- title: "Up to 10 years in prison: Ukraine enacts law tightening penalties for fraud call centers" description: "Ukraine has enacted a law tightening liability for fraud call centers: participation and assistance carry up to 10 years in prison with confiscation of property, and hiring staff up to 5 years." date: 2026-09-23T11:44:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraine-law-fraud-call-centers-10-years-prison tags: [ukraine, fraud, call-centers, criminal-code, law, scam] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Up to 10 years in prison: Ukraine enacts law tightening penalties for fraud call centers ![Schematic image of a fraudster from a scam call center at a laptop: new law on tougher penalties in Ukraine](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/23/ukraine-zakon-moshennicheskie-koll-tsentry-10-let/ukraine-zakon-moshennicheskie-koll-tsentry-10-let-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine have come into force: deliberate participation in a fraud call center carries up to 10 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property. - Liability extends to renting out premises, providing communications and equipment, as well as to hiring staff (up to 5 years, and up to 10 years for a repeat offense). - Exemption from liability is provided for voluntarily notifying law enforcement and assisting them before being served with a notice of suspicion. - The law was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada and signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine have come into force, introducing stricter liability for the creation, operation, and facilitation of fraud call centers. The new law, adopted by the Verkhovna Rada and signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is aimed at combating telephone fraud and the unlawful acquisition of citizens' personal data. The key innovation is a substantial increase in prison terms for both the direct operators of such "offices" and the individuals who build the infrastructure for them. ### What changed in the Criminal Code Deliberate participation in the operation of a fraud call center is punishable by up to 10 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property. This is the maximum liability threshold established by the new legislation for the direct employees of such structures. The law also separately regulates liability for the unlawful acquisition of Ukrainians' personal data, which allows fraud schemes to be stopped at the stage of gathering information about victims. ### Who else will face liability Law enforcement officials emphasize that punishment extends not only to those who directly make the calls, but also to individuals who knowingly help organize the process. This category includes renting out premises, providing equipment, communications, and other necessary services. A separate penalty is established for the deliberate recruitment of people to work in fraud structures, in particular for searching for and hiring staff: such actions carry up to 5 years of imprisonment, and in case of a repeat offense the term increases to 10 years. ### How can one avoid punishment At the same time, the law provides a mechanism for exemption from criminal liability for certain participants or individuals who assisted the fraudsters. To qualify, one must voluntarily notify law enforcement authorities about the group's activities and actively assist in exposing it. The key condition is to do so before being served with a notice of suspicion. This approach, as intended by the legislators, is meant to encourage "whistleblowers" within such structures and help law enforcement uncover entire networks. ### Context: why the law was long overdue Fraud call centers, or so-called "offices," have long remained one of the most widespread forms of telephone fraud in Ukraine. According to industry publications, such structures are organized like a conveyor: from recruiting staff and preparing scripts to the systematic deception of citizens and the withdrawal of funds. That is precisely why the new law broadens the circle of liable persons — from callers to landlords and recruiters — in order to strike at the entire chain, not just the end operators. ### The government's position The initiative to tighten liability was previously championed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy himself, who called on the Verkhovna Rada to strengthen the punishment for the activities of illegal call centers. In his words, the penalty for operating such structures must be severe. Following its adoption by parliament and signature by the head of state, the law is now in practical effect, and law enforcement agencies have gained a broader toolkit for prosecuting all links in the fraud chains. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [10 years in prison for working in fraud "offices": law takes effect in Ukraine](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/robotu-shahrayskih-ofisah-10-rokiv-v-yaznitsi-1790163387.html) - Подтверждает вступление закона в силу и срок до 10 лет за работу в мошеннических офисах. - [Telephone "offices": how fraud call centers in Ukraine are structured and what they earn from](https://tsn.ua/ru/ukrayina/telefonnye-ofisy-kak-ustroeny-moshennicheskie-koll-tsentry-v-ukraine-i-na-chem-oni-zarabatyvayut-3173615.html) - Использован как контекст для описания структуры колл-центров; конкретные цифры не цитировались. - [Criminal liability for fraud call centers introduced in Ukraine](https://theotherukraine.info/2026/09/23/na-ukraine-vvedena-ugolovnaya-otvetstvennost-za-moshennicheskie-koll-czentry/) - Подтверждает введение уголовной ответственности; дата публикации 23.09.2026 совпадает с актуальной датой. - [Zelenskyy calls on the Rada to tighten penalties for fraud call centers](https://www.unian.net/politics/koll-centry-v-ukraine-zelenskiy-iniciiroval-uzhestochenie-otvetstvennosti-13488156.html) - Подтверждает инициативу президента по ужесточению ответственности. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What prison term is faced for participating in a fraud call center in Ukraine? **A:** Deliberate participation in the operation of a fraud call center is punishable by up to 10 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property. ### Q: Who else can be held liable under the new law? **A:** Liability extends not only to callers, but also to individuals who rent out premises, provide communications and equipment, as well as to those who deliberately recruit and hire staff (up to 5 years, and up to 10 years for a repeat offense). ### Q: Is it possible to avoid criminal prosecution under this law? **A:** Yes, the law provides for exemption from liability upon voluntarily notifying law enforcement about the group's activities and actively assisting in exposing it, but only before being served with a notice of suspicion. ### Q: Who signed and brought this law into force? **A:** The law was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada and signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had previously called on parliament to tighten the punishment for the activities of illegal call centers.