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UK Charges Five Over Russian Coms Caller-ID Spoofing Service

The National Crime Agency said the action marks a move from disrupting the platform to prosecuting its alleged suppliers with a view to recovering criminals’ proceeds for victims.

Overview

  • The NCA charged five London residents on Monday in connection with supplying Russian Coms and said the suspects will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 14 August.
  • The people named by authorities are Ayoub Sehailia, Zakkaria Sehailia, Usman Din, Denis Ozmus, and Fadila Salem and the charges include conspiracy to supply articles for use in fraud.
  • One charge listed by prosecutors covers acquiring, transferring or converting criminal property and Zakkaria Sehailia faces a separate count for failing to provide phone passcodes when legally required.
  • Russian Coms sold a handset and a web app from 2020 that offered caller‑ID spoofing, encrypted calls, voice changing and instant handset wipes as paid subscriptions marketed on Telegram, Snapchat and Instagram.
  • Investigators say the platform was used to place more than 1.3 million scam calls to roughly 500,000 numbers and caused tens of millions in losses before it was taken down in March 2024 during Operation Henhouse.