Press Release

Tirana Prosecutor’s Office wrapped up the investigations and submitted criminal case no. 6055 of 2021 to court for 'Computer Fraud,' committed in complicity more than once, as stipulated in Article 143/b-2 of the Criminal Code, and for 'Laundering the Proceeds of the criminal offense or criminal activity ' as stipulated in Article 287 of the Criminal Code.

The three-year investigation, conducted using specialized methods, was carried out in cooperation with partner agencies from European countries. The total damage caused exceeds 2 million euros. The investigation, initiated in cooperation with the German authorities in Braunschweig, focused on computer fraud for profit through fraudulent platforms such as 'CFD-Tradingplattform' and 'FX-Leader,' among others.

The investigations confirmed that significant monetary transfers were made to a call center named 'Capital SHPK 1001,' located at Rr. Him Kolli, where in one instance alone, a total of 254,990.00 euros was transferred to various accounts linked to the platform 'fx-leader.com.

All transfers in this scheme were driven by the perpetrators, who convinced their victims to invest their assets profitably, primarily through online advertisements and social media. Once a victim registered on the fraudulent platform with their name, surname, email, and phone number, the perpetrators would promptly contact them by phone, establishing a trust-based relationship with the so-called 'client.'"

Initially, the victims were lured into investing small amounts, with the promise that the alleged broker of the investment platform would generate substantial profits through stock and cryptocurrency trading. The website 'fx-leader.com' falsely claimed to be involved in financial transactions through so-called binary options. To facilitate this, call centers were set up, where 'clients' were contacted by personal financial consultants who encouraged them to make larger investments. Both profits and losses were artificially manipulated. A specific algorithm was designed to create initial gains, which motivated participants to invest progressively larger sums of money.

When the victims tried to withdraw their profits or deposits, they were unable to do so. The system was deliberately designed to keep them hooked until enough money had been taken, after which the sites would be shut down.

The investigations revealed the full scope of the criminal operation, identifying how the scheme worked. It was found that user accounts were created on platforms like https://www.paypal.com and https://www.coinbase.com. These accounts were used to set up and manage profiles for transferring money in different currencies to other online accounts. The operation also involved the 'TradingView' platform for analyzing trading ideas in global markets, as well as the Binance and Coinbase platforms, which are used as cryptocurrency wallets, and the 'Crypto.com' app, a platform for trading various cryptocurrencies.

Files containing Excel spreadsheets were also seized, they included lists of names and contact information (email, phone numbers) of foreign nationals. These were used to contact and lure victims into making fake investments.

The fraudulent scheme was run by Israeli national R.G. and a group of employees. In total, 12 rogatory letters were drafted in various European countries. One of particular interest to the investigation came from the Czech Republic. According to statements from Czech nationals who were contacted by RG Capital, one case stands out: J.L., a Czech citizen, reported that between January and February 2021, he was contacted by financial brokers who encouraged him to invest in Bitcoin. He invested 285,000 CZK, but after that, the broker cut off communication, and J.L. never received his invested money in BTC.

The laundering of these funds was effectuated through fictitious transfers and false invoices to banks in Lithuania, India, Singapore, Hungary, Estonia, Malta, etc.— countries identified as high-risk for money laundering activities within their banking systems.

Consequently, Tirana Prosecutor's Office has charged Israeli national R.G. with the criminal offense of 'Computer Fraud,' committed in complicity more than once, as stipulated in Article 143/b-2 of the Criminal Code, and with “Laundering the proceeds of criminal offense or the criminal activity”, under Article 287 of the Criminal Code. Furthermore, 38 Albanian nationals have been indicted for 'Computer Fraud,' committed in complicity more than once, as provided for in Article 143/b-2 of the Criminal Code.