Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on September 1, 2026, that the following day, on September 2, he would submit bills to the Verkhovna Rada providing for stricter criminal liability for the organizers of fraudulent call centers. According to the head of state, law enforcement agencies have already taken a number of operational steps, but now it is precisely legislative instruments that are needed. “Tomorrow morning I will send bills to the Verkhovna Rada on tightening criminal liability for those who organize fraudulent call centers. We need to close this topic,” Zelensky stated, emphasizing that “all organizers of call centers must be held accountable.”
The head of state’s initiative
As reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the president’s statement, the initiative is of a systemic nature: it is not about isolated measures, but about revising criminal law norms so that the organizers of fraudulent schemes bear real responsibility. Zelensky noted that the operational actions of law enforcement officers are already yielding results, but legislative changes are needed to consolidate the effect. Thus, the bill is positioned as the final stage of the campaign against telephone fraud that the authorities have been carrying out over the past few months.
Context: the fight against fraudulent call centers
The announcement of the legislative initiative comes against the backdrop of active work by law enforcement agencies. In August 2026, inspections of the infrastructure of fraudulent call centers were carried out across the country. According to the publication, workers of such centers lured citizens onto fake investment platforms and gained access to their accounts. In addition, law enforcement officers recently arrested and notified of suspicion the organizer of the Money 24/7 fraud network, which posed as a network of exchange offices and a crypto-asset exchange service.
What is known about the schemes and risks for citizens
In addition to classic call centers, Ukrainians are being warned about new phishing schemes. In particular, criminals are sending emails allegedly from the State Tax Service, attempting to gain access to citizens’ personal and financial data. It is precisely the combination of telephone fraud, fake investment platforms, and phishing that, according to the logic of the initiator, should be addressed by a single package of legislative changes aimed at tightening the liability of organizers, not just ordinary executors.
Contradictory data
Publications by different outlets show a slight difference in wording regarding the number of documents. In the lead of RBC-Ukraine and in the president’s own quote, the plural is used — “bills,” whereas in the headline of the Slovidilo article the singular is mentioned — “bill.” This does not contradict Zelensky’s own statements: the quote uses the plural, indicating a possible package of several documents. The difference is thus editorial and does not affect the essence of the announcement — the submission to the Rada of a legislative initiative on tightening the liability of organizers of fraudulent call centers on September 2, 2026.
