Police arrest two foreign nationals suspected of phone fraud scheme in Estonia

Estonian police detained a 27-year-old Belarusian national and a 20-year-old Ukrainian national in May on suspicion of participating in a coordinated fraud scheme. The two men are alleged to have worked together as part of a group helping phone scammers steal money from people in Estonia.

Estonian police arrested two men in May who are suspected of involvement in an organised telephone fraud operation targeting residents in Estonia. The suspects are a 27-year-old citizen of Belarus and a 20-year-old citizen of Ukraine.

According to preliminary information, the two men acted jointly and in a coordinated manner as part of a larger group. Investigators allege that their role was to assist phone scammers in extracting money from Estonian victims.

Phone fraud schemes, in which criminals impersonate bank employees, police officers or other authorities to trick victims into transferring funds, have remained a persistent problem in Estonia in recent years. Law enforcement has repeatedly urged the public to remain vigilant and to verify any unexpected calls claiming to be from official institutions.