Azerbaijan’s State Security Service has identified members of an international cybercrime network that used fake WhatsApp accounts in the names of executives and law enforcement officers to demand that civil servants and employees of companies and organizations transfer money to foreign accounts.

In a statement, the government said the criminal groups operate outside Azerbaijan and are led by foreign citizens, The Caspian Post reports.

The targets of the scheme included civil servants, as well as employees of various enterprises and organizations.

According to the State Security Service, the criminals used phone numbers of Azerbaijani mobile operators to carry out the scheme and created fake accounts on social networks and messaging platforms.

Using specialized computer programs, they collected the contact details of employees on a large scale from the official websites of state bodies and organizations.

The SSS said the perpetrators then created fake WhatsApp profiles using photographs of the heads of the relevant institutions.

Employees received supposedly “urgent” messages from these accounts. After establishing contact, the criminals redirected them to another fake profile, whose owner posed as a representative of a law enforcement agency.

The recipients were then instructed to transfer money to foreign bank accounts or comply with other demands.

As a result of operational and investigative measures, several members of the criminal network were identified. International legal procedures have already been initiated against them.

The SSS further stated that efforts to fully expose the criminal network are continuing in cooperation with the competent authorities of foreign countries, the security services of international technology companies, and the operators of the relevant platforms.

The State Security Service urged citizens not to trust suspicious messages received through social networks and messaging platforms, even when an account appears to belong to an acquaintance, manager, or representative of a state body. Such contacts should be promptly reported to the competent authorities.