7 March 2025
– Milking the victims to their last penny
Today, we are following up with a second report on the #ScamEmpire investigation and invite you to explore scam call centers from inside and learn how they are organized.
Meet the junior sales team responsible for onboarding, and the senior, ruthless retention team that ensures victims are drained of every last dollar—leaving them with empty savings, high-interest loans, and debts to friends and family.
Get to know the management of the A.K. Group, the operators behind the Georgian call centers. Meet some of their highest-earning agents and see what their lucrative sales bonuses have afforded them. While victims are stripped of everything, these individuals indulge in a lavish lifestyle—driving sports cars, wearing luxury watches, traveling to exclusive destinations, and splurging on high-end shopping.
Listen to audio recordings where sales agents, confronted by their victims, admit to the scam—only to shift the blame onto the victims, mocking them for their “stupidity.”
Today’s report is the second chapter of a long investigation on the “Scam Empire”, a collaboration with 32 media partners across Europe. The report – The Milking – exposes the inner workings of call centers, revealing how they maximize profits while keeping their sales agents in check.
The Milking (Report 2)
Previous reports
- The Scam Empire – Introduction to the investigation and Qurium’s findings (project page)
- Explainer: Scam Empire FAQ
- Report 1: The Hunt – From potential victim to “depositor” in 20 min
- Consortium: All published reports
Future reports
- Report 3: The Washing (coming soon)
- Report 4: The service providers (coming soon)
All reports from Qurium and the consortium will be available from the project page.
Contacts
Digital forensic: Tord Lundström <t at virtualroad.org> Technical Director
Media: Clara Zid <info at virtualroad.org> Media and Outreach Manager