MOSCOW, October 12. /TASS/. Ukrainian scam call centers are now targeting Western countries, including Switzerland, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia, having realized that they can't prey on Russia anymore, retired FSB Major General Alexander Perelygin told reporters.

"A remarkable turn of events has taken place recently. Our law enforcement agencies and special services are taking very active countermeasures, and public awareness campaigns are underway. This has reduced opportunities for fraud in Russia. Meanwhile, the [call centers’] appetites have grown. So how does organized crime respond in this situation? It seeks out new hunting grounds. Western Europe is one such place," the expert noted.

According to him, reports are already appearing in the Swiss press about the challenges local law enforcement agencies are facing in investigating Ukrainian scam call centers on their territory. Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia are facing the same problems. "Moreover, as I understand it, they’ve now set their sights on the US," Perelygin emphasized.

The expert attributed this development to the fact that Western countries have long ignored the problem, believing that Russia overblew the issue. "Now, Westerners are fed up with these call centers as they've begun to cause problems for them," he noted. According to Perelygin, one publication said that Russians now account for only 10-15% of the victims of Ukrainian call centers. "In short, now that this infection has spread to neighboring countries, they should understand that breeding it is foolish, because tomorrow it will be on their doorstep," the expert concluded.