Five Londoners Charged in ‘Russian Coms’ Vishing Probe
British police have charged five people from London in connection with a notorious fraud platform that enabled millions of scam calls. The suspects are accused of running and promoting National Crime Agency described as a cybercrime-as-a-service operation that tricked victims into handing over cash and personal data.
The charges include conspiracy to supply articles for fraud, money laundering, and failing to provide phone passcodes when ordered. All five are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 14, 2026.
What Was Russian Coms?
Launched in 2020, Russian Coms started as a physical handset before evolving into a web-based app. Criminals used it to spoof caller IDs — making it look like they were dialing from banks, telecoms firms, or even law enforcement agencies.
“They allowed criminals to hide their identity by appearing to call from pre-selected numbers,” the NCA said in a statement. The goal was simple: convince victims their accounts were compromised and persuade them to transfer money to a “safe” account controlled by the scammers.
By the time the platform was shut down in 2024, it was linked to over 1.3 million scam calls targeting half a million UK phone numbers — plus many more overseas.
Who Are the Accused?
The five individuals charged are:
- Ayoub Sehailia, 28
- Zakkaria Sehailia, 30
- Usman Din, 30
- Denis Ozmus, 29
- Fadila Salem, 53
All are from different parts of London. Their court date is set for August 2026, more than two years away — a sign of the complexity of the case.
A Cybercrime-as-a-Service Empire
Russian Coms was marketed aggressively on Snapchat, Instagram, and Telegram. The package sold to fraudsters included “unlimited minutes,” “hold music,” encrypted calls, voice-changing tools, and 24/7 support.
The handset version came preloaded with VPN apps to hide the user’s IP address and a burner app that wiped the phone clean at the touch of a button. A six-month contract cost between £1,200 ($1,600) and £1,400 ($1,870), depending on delivery method.
Victims lost tens of millions of pounds, the NCA estimates. Fraud now accounts for 41% of all crime in the UK, with over two-thirds of it cyber-enabled.
Broader Crackdown on Fraud Gaining Ground
This case is part of a wider push by UK authorities. In January 2025, three men were sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court for running OTP.Agency, a site that helped fraudsters bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA) to hijack bank and telecom accounts.
More recently, Operation Henhouse 5 led to more than 500 arrests, freezing orders against £9 million ($12 million), and seizures of cash and assets worth £18.1 million ($24.3 million).
Still, the scale of the problem is daunting. The NCA says fraudsters are constantly adapting, using platforms like Russian Coms to stay one step ahead. The charges announced today are a reminder that law enforcement is catching up — but the fight is far from over.
