Introduction: Systemic Crime and Selective Justice

In recent years, numerous international and local journalistic investigations have documented the operation of a large-scale network of ‘scam call centers’ in Georgia. This criminal syndicate is embezzling millions of euros and dollars belonging to Western taxpayers, causing severe financial damage to citizens of EU member states, the United Kingdom, and Canada. For years, the Georgian Dream government had categorically denied any connection to this organized crime, although recent events suggest otherwise.

In December 2025, the Prosecutor’s Office arrested Grigol Liluashvili, head of the State Security Service of Georgia (SSS) from 2019 to 2025, on charges of protecting ‘dozens of’ scam call centers.^[1] His arrest coincides not with the discovery of a crime, but with his confrontation with the country’s informal ruler, Bidzina Ivanishvili.^[2]

The initiation of criminal prosecution by the Prosecutor's Office on February 18 against another large network connected to the US-sanctioned former Prosecutor General, Otar Partskhaladze,^[3] is part of this same trend. Journalists had been talking about the large call centers operating under his patronage as early as 2022 (for details, see the whistleblower's account below). However, for years he remained an untouchable figure, and the government vertical did everything to protect him

This and other facts raise reasonable suspicions that the call center industry in Georgia is operating with the support of high-ranking political officials and that justice is being used solely as a tool of political revenge.

Potential Scale of Stolen Money

In 2022, insider testimony from a whistleblower who worked within the system indicated that a single active call center generates between $50,000 and $500,000 in daily stolen revenue from taxpayers in Western countries. According to the whistleblower’s account, the network of call centers in Georgia is extensive, consisting of hundreds of locations, tens of thousands of employees, and generating millions of dollars in daily revenue. According to the March 2025 OCCRP international journalist investigation, just one medium-sized network generated $35.3 million in stolen funds over three years. Within the group, a single team of seven agents was tasked with generating $420,000 in a single month.

Total Estimate: Given that hundreds of such centers have operated While it is impossible to determine the exact amount of money stolen from EU, British, and Canadian citizens, estimates could range from USD 350 million to well over USD 1 billion.

The Mechanics of Fraud: How a Scam Call Center Works

To the outside world, these facilities appear to be standard IT or business support offices, often housed in modern business centers. Inside, however, they operate as highly organized industrial lines designed to defraud foreign citizens. Based on the sources, the "Scam Empire" operates not merely through random calls, but through a highly organized system of psychological engineering and technical manipulation. Scammers employ a specific playbook of "tricks" designed to dismantle a victim's skepticism, followed by "solutions" (fake software and recovery services) that serve as tools to extract maximum funds. The scheme generally follows a specific six-step cycle:

1. The Trap (Lead Generation): The process begins on social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok). Scammers place advertisements promising "high returns on small investments" or "passive income." These ads often use "Deepfake" videos of famous figures (such as Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg) or logos of reputable companies to gain trust. When a victim clicks the link and enters their contact details, they become a "Lead."
2. The Hook (Conversion): A junior operator, known as a "Conversion Agent," contacts the victim immediately. Speaking fluent English, German, or French, they use a fake Western name and pose as a financial advisor. Their goal is to convince the victim to make a small initial deposit (typically $250 or €250) to activate a trading account.
3. The Illusion (The Platform): Once the money is transferred, the victim is given access to a fake online dashboard. This software is rigged - it displays simulated graphs showing the initial investment growing rapidly. The victim believes they are making real money on the stock or crypto market, but in reality, the money was stolen the moment it was transferred.
4. The Squeeze (Retention): The victim is passed to a senior, more experienced "Retention Agent." This operator builds a deep psychological bond with the victim—sometimes simulating friendship or even romance. Using the fake profits on the screen as "proof" of success, they pressure the victim to invest their life savings, sell property, or take out bank loans for a "golden opportunity."
5. The Block (Withdrawal): When the victim attempts to cash out their "earnings," the trap shuts. The agents invent bureaucratic hurdles, claiming the victim must first pay "taxes," "insurance fees," or "bank commissions" to release the funds. If the victim pays these fees, that money is stolen as well.
6. The "Recovery" Scam: In many cases, after the victim realizes they have been defrauded, they are contacted by a new person claiming to be a lawyer or a recovery official. In reality, this is often the same criminal group using a different script, demanding a fee to "investigate" the fraud, victimizing the target a second time.

Chronology of events and facts

1. Ignored evidence (2021-2024)

In 2021-2024, dozens of investigative stories about illegal call centers operating in Tbilisi were broadcast on Georgian television. The problem was so large-scale and glaring that in August 2024, even the US Congressional Helsinki Commission published a special statement highlighting the role of this "black money" in the operation of the Georgian Dream.^[4] Nevertheless, the response of investigative agencies was ineffective and fragmented.

According to official statistics from the Prosecutor's Office, in 2021-2024, criminal prosecutions were initiated against only about 100 individuals (the so-called "low-level" employees), while the organizers and their political patrons remained untouchable.

2. The Whistleblower’s Testimony (2022)

In 2022, the most damning evidence emerged from a whistleblower – a former IT specialist for a major scam network – who provided a detailed "anatomy" of the state-backed criminal syndicate. In a video interview he explicitly named high-ranking officials and members of the ruling elite who acted as the "roof" or protectors for different networks.^[5] According to his testimony, Ucha Mamatsashvili, the cousin of Bidzina Ivanishvili, was identified as a key beneficiary, allegedly receiving a 5% cut from call center profits alongside the Head of the State Security Service (SSS), Grigol Liluashvili. The whistleblower also implicated former Prosecutor General Otar Partskhaladze, stating he controlled a massive network operated by the "Mikadze Brothers," while alleging that Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze protected specific large offices. Furthermore, Georgian Dream MP Isko Daseni was accused of providing political cover, while his son reportedly supplied the CRM software used to manage victims. The testimony also pointed to Mindia Lordkipanidze, a former high-ranking Interior Ministry official, who allegedly utilized a private security firm to physically protect scam offices and intimidate employees.

3. OCCRP investigation (March 2025)

In March 2025, the International Group of Investigative Journalists (OCCRP), together with Georgian partner journalists and 30 other media organizations, exposed a large-scale network of scam call centers operating in Tbilisi.^[6] The journalistic investigation identified the connections of a specific criminal group (the A.K. Group) and its operational locations.  One of the group's main call centers (employing ~85 people) was located just 500 meters from the State Security Service (SSS) headquarters and remained undisturbed for years.

The investigation identified over 6,000 victims from European, British, and Canadian citizens who lost a combined $35.3 million to this single group in 2022-2025.

4. Arrest of the former head of the State Security Service (December 2025)

During 2025, Grigol Liluashvili, along with former Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, lost favor with Bidzina Ivanishvili.^[7] Only after losing political influence did it become possible to bring the former head of the State Security Service to justice, although all indications suggest that his arrest was not intended to investigate a crime but to punish him for insufficient political loyalty. The purge extended to the highest levels. On January 12, 2026, former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili agreed to a plea deal, accepting a five-year prison sentence. His downfall, alongside Liluashvili’s, confirms that the 'anti-scam' operation is actually a consolidation of power by Bidzina Ivanishvili, eliminating former lieutenants.

5. Prosecution Initiated Against the Partskhaladze-Mikadze Network (February 2026)

Information provided by a whistleblower in 2022 regarding the connection between the former Prosecutor General, Otar Partskhaladze, and the Mikadze brothers to fraudulent networks went unanswered by investigative agencies for years. Otar Partskhaladze enjoyed absolute untouchability under the rule of Georgian Dream.^[8] Moreover, when the US sanctioned him, the National Bank of Georgia even issued a special exception order so that he could evade the sanction and maintain access to his bank accounts.^[9] The situation changed after the former Chief Prosecutor and brothers David and Giorgi Mikadze were charged in December 2025 in connection with the murder of Levan Jangveladze, the brother of a "thief-in-law". This was followed by a statement from the Prosecutor's Office on February 18, according to which criminal prosecution was initiated against Partskhaladze and the Mikadze brothers on charges of money laundering and fraud in the call center case.^[10]

The fact that for all these years, despite the existence of abundant evidence, Partskhaladze was untouchable, and suddenly an investigation was launched against him (just as in the case of Liluashvili), once again indicates that the administration of justice serves not the interests of eradicating crime, but rather clan needs. Justice is administered when and to the extent required by the interests of the country's informal ruler.

6. Scam call centers are still operating (current situation)

Despite the high-profile arrests, the systemic problem has not been eliminated. According to the latest data from OCCRP, fraudulent call centers, including the exposed groups, continue to operate, including in particular members of the A.K. Group, who are wanted by the Prosecutor's Office.^[11] The existence of call centers is indicated by stories produced by TV Formula in 2025.^[12]

As the whistleblower revealed that the few arrests made during this period were a sham. “They only arrest the low-level operators or junior brokers,” the insider explained. The organizers remain untouched. The arrested individuals sign plea deals, pay a fine (often funded by the stolen money), and are released shortly after. The justice system was used not to stop the crime, but to "tax" it and silence the perpetrators.

The whistleblower's account is corroborated by the January 2026 TV Pirvelis story,^[13] which reports that 7 arrested scammers, facing up to 12 years in prison,^[14] were released within 9 months in exchange for compensation for damages and a fine of 100,000 GEL. This signals to all call center scammers that they have an incentive to continue their criminal activities, since the justice system punishes them only by confiscating what they have illegally appropriated.