Azerbaijani Law Enforcement Authorities Dismantle Massive Cybercrime Operation

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 20. Azerbaijan's State Security Service (SSS) has exposed a cybercrime Network that prepared fake appeals on behalf of state and public figures, Trend reports.

The Main Investigation Department of the SSS initiated a criminal case under Articles 272.2.1, 272.2.2 (Illegal seizure of computer information by an organized group), 273-2 (Falsification of computer data), and 178.3. 1 (Fraud by an organized group) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the facts of cybercrime manufacturing of fake video messages on behalf of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, other state and public figures with the help of artificial intelligence programs - deep fake technologies, as well as embezzlement of citizens' money by spreading fake announcements of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), "Kapital Bank", "International Bank of Azerbaijan" in various social networks with promises of large sums of money at the expense of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

"Through comprehensive investigations in the criminal case, the countries in which cybercrimes were committed were identified, an international cybercrime network was exposed within the framework of operational procedural cooperation with the relevant authorities of these states, and the said criminal acts were prevented.

It was found that in numerous false advertisements presented to users of the Azerbaijani segment of the Internet with a link to sites created by cyber criminals, citizens were invited to invest money in various investment projects. An image was created of a regular, significant increase in the funds transferred under the guise of transferring the promised investment income to the bank cards of the victims, and through cybercrime, the card data of the latter was obtained and the money stored in the bank cards of the victims was embezzled.

The members of an international cybercrime group who embezzled large sums of money from citizens of Azerbaijan and other countries through similar criminal actions have been brought to criminal responsibility by local law enforcement agencies in Ukraine. Citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Zohrabov Rafig (born in 1998) and Niftaliyev Sardar (born in 1979), who were involved in criminal actions of the transnational organized group, were brought to criminal responsibility in Azerbaijan, and a preventive measure in the form of detention was chosen by a court decision against them.

The investigation and criminal procedural actions arising from international legal cooperation are currently ongoing in the criminal case," the information said.

To note, earlier in the joint statement of the State Service for Special Communication and Information Security and Media Development Agency of Azerbaijan, it was noted that fake appeals prepared and disseminated on behalf of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan using "deepfake" technologies to confuse the audience on electronic information resources are an example of cybercrime, which is considered a new type of threat in the world.

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