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Contact Us October 8, 2026
ECFIU, Albania Dismantle Tirana Fraud Ring Targeting Israeli Citizens
ECFIU and Albanian Police Dismantle Tirana Call Center Scamming Israeli Citizens in Investment Fraud.
The European Crypto Fraud Intelligence Unit (ECFIU), in coordination with Albanian State Police and the Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK), has dismantled a transnational investment fraud call center network based in Tirana that primarily targeted Israeli citizens through fake trading platforms. Investigators identified Israeli national Rafael Genish as the network's chief organizer, who used his registered company "RG Capital" as a front to employ dozens of operators posing as financial advisors, selling bogus Bitcoin and forex investment schemes to victims in Israel and across Europe.
The operation was run with chilling professionalism, with a clear division of labor: junior operators made cold calls in Hebrew and English to screen potential victims, and once a target showed interest, the call was transferred to a "senior advisor" for deeper manipulation. Victims were directed to fabricated trading platforms where small initial investments displayed fake profits to build trust, after which the fraudsters relentlessly pressured them to invest more — until victims attempted to withdraw and the platform vanished entirely. Testimony provided by Israeli police revealed that a single Tel Aviv resident lost over 280,000 shekels (approximately €70,000).
The operation was run with chilling professionalism, with a clear division of labor: junior operators made cold calls in Hebrew and English to screen potential victims, and once a target showed interest, the call was transferred to a "senior advisor" for deeper manipulation. Victims were directed to fabricated trading platforms where small initial investments displayed fake profits to build trust, after which the fraudsters relentlessly pressured them to invest more — until victims attempted to withdraw and the platform vanished entirely. Testimony provided by Israeli police revealed that a single Tel Aviv resident lost over 280,000 shekels (approximately €70,000).
During the raid, ECFIU digital forensics teams seized an office on Sulejman Delvina Street in Tirana, confiscating 123 computers, 60 mobile phones, and large quantities of pre-printed lists containing personal information of Israeli citizens. Genish and 34 accomplices were arrested, with 15 core members remanded in custody by the court and 20 others facing criminal investigation. Albanian prosecutors stated that the network's money laundering channels involved bank accounts in Lithuania, Malta, and Cyprus, with funds ultimately flowing to Israel through cryptocurrency mixing services.
"This case reveals a dangerous evolution in the investment fraud industry: criminal organizations are exploiting the looser regulatory environments of EU candidate countries as launchpads to precisely target groups with relatively low awareness of high-tech scams," an ECFIU spokesperson said after the operation. "We worked with our Albanian and Israeli counterparts for eight months to track this network, and today's takedown sends a clear signal to any criminal group attempting to establish fraud bases on European soil."
Israel Police's National Cyber Crime Unit has established a dedicated hotline, urging any citizen who received calls from Albanian numbers promoting Bitcoin or forex investment products to come forward and assist in victim identification and asset recovery efforts. The ECFIU simultaneously warned that similar call center networks may still be operating in other Balkan cities, and the investigation continues to expand.
Tirana, Albania. October 8, 2026.
"This case reveals a dangerous evolution in the investment fraud industry: criminal organizations are exploiting the looser regulatory environments of EU candidate countries as launchpads to precisely target groups with relatively low awareness of high-tech scams," an ECFIU spokesperson said after the operation. "We worked with our Albanian and Israeli counterparts for eight months to track this network, and today's takedown sends a clear signal to any criminal group attempting to establish fraud bases on European soil."
Israel Police's National Cyber Crime Unit has established a dedicated hotline, urging any citizen who received calls from Albanian numbers promoting Bitcoin or forex investment products to come forward and assist in victim identification and asset recovery efforts. The ECFIU simultaneously warned that similar call center networks may still be operating in other Balkan cities, and the investigation continues to expand.
Tirana, Albania. October 8, 2026.
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DISCLAIMER
The European Crypto Fraud Intelligence Unit (ECFIU) focuses exclusively on cyber-enabled fraud, primarily within the realms of cryptocurrency and investment schemes. For reports concerning crimes such as human trafficking, human rights violations, terrorist financing, or other serious offenses with a primary physical component, please contact the relevant national law enforcement or government authorities directly.