Astana court sentences 24 to eight years each in SIM-box fraud case

September 19, 2026 at 11:02 AM2 min

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A court in Astana sentenced 24 people to eight years in prison each for operating SIM-box devices used in transnational phone fraud. The defendants were part of an organized group that facilitated scam calls to citizens, with most members arriving from Russia. The verdict has not yet entered into legal force.

Key Facts

The Interdistrict Criminal Court of Astana sentenced 24 people to eight years in prison each.
Participants were paid between $50 and $100 per day for maintaining SIM-box equipment.
Most defendants arrived in Kazakhstan from Russia, and some traveled back to Russia for equipment on organizers' instructions.
Telegram chats found on the defendants' phones contained instructions on equipment setup, SIM card replacement, and reporting to coordinators.
The verdict has not yet entered into legal force, according to the Karaganda Region Prosecutor's Office.

The Verdict

The Interdistrict Criminal Court of Astana convicted 24 members of a transnational organized crime group involved in telephone fraud. Each defendant received a sentence of eight years in prison. The Karaganda Region Prosecutor's Office, which supported the prosecution, stated that the verdict has not yet entered into legal force.

Scheme Operations

The court found that roles were distributed among group members and coordinated by organizers. Most participants arrived in Kazakhstan from Russia, and some traveled back to Russia on organizers' instructions to obtain equipment. Recruits were mainly found through Telegram and instructed to travel to a specific city, rent housing, receive or deliver SIM-box devices, connect them to the internet, install SIM cards from Kazakhstani operators, and maintain equipment operation. For this work, participants were paid between $50 and $100 per day.

Fraudulent Calls

Phone numbers connected to the SIM-boxes were used to make fraudulent calls to citizens. Callers posed as employees of government agencies, banks, Kazpost, and other organizations. They obtained confirmation codes and persuaded people to take out loans and transfer money. Telegram chats found on the defendants' phones contained instructions on equipment installation and maintenance, SIM card replacement, task execution, and reporting to coordinators. The defendants denied guilt, but the court found the evidence sufficient for a guilty verdict.