As part of a joint investigation with Italian authorities, SPAK and the National Bureau of Investigation, in cooperation with the State Police, have conducted searches in several rented premises in Tirana. The searches focused on finding materials and other items related to an investigation into fraud through call centers.
The operation resulted in 10 people being arrested, while two others, the owners of the call centers, have been declared wanted.
The investigation began after denunciations published on the Italian show "Le Iene". Journalist Luigi Pelazza, after several weeks of investigations, has uncovered an organized scheme operating in several countries, including Albania, and has defrauded and stolen millions of euros from thousands of victims around the world.
The scheme is based on phone calls promising quick profits and digital platforms simulating fake investments. According to inside sources, investigators have identified the highest levels of the organization, including the person responsible for recruiting staff in Albanian call centers.
The Italian journalist revealed that the operators required an initial investment of 250 euros to invest in shares of the company Finivest, claimed to be guaranteed by the Italian state. After the victims agreed to invest, they were given access to a website where a fictitious amount of 50 thousand euros was displayed. When the victims tried to withdraw the money, they were asked to make a new transfer, thus taking away the invested amount and its multiple, which could never be returned.
Italian authorities have tracked down the responsible individuals all the way to Albania, which also led to the intervention of SPAK and the State Police.
