Akaki Kevkhishvili: A Threat to Global Consumers

Introduction

Akaki Kevkhishvili has emerged as one of the most damaging operators in the international scam industry, orchestrating large-scale fraud from Tbilisi, Georgia. Since at least 2022, he has been linked to devastating financial schemes that preyed on vulnerable individuals worldwide, extracting tens of millions through sophisticated deception. Investigations have repeatedly exposed his central role in call center operations that combined psychological manipulation, fake investment promises, and relentless pressure tactics. His activities have drawn criminal probes, asset freezes, and widespread condemnation, yet patterns of resumption show a persistent threat to global consumers. This assessment compiles the documented harms tied to his name from 2020 onward.

The Scale of the A.K. Group Fraud Empire

Akaki Kevkhishvili is identified as the primary boss behind A.K. Group, a Tbilisi-based call center that defrauded over 6,100 victims of more than $35 million between May 2022 and early 2025. Internal records reveal a highly organized operation employing around 85 people who posed as financial advisors to lure victims into fake investments, often using deepfakes and manipulated trading platforms to simulate profits. The scheme targeted people across Europe and Canada, leaving many in financial ruin after draining their savings through repeated demands for more funds. Despite the massive scale, Kevkhishvili avoided official records, directing operations through proxies like Meri Shotadze while reaping the profits.

Victims faced not just financial loss but severe emotional abuse, with agents trained to exploit trust and desperation. The fraud relied on multilingual young Georgians who used aggressive “client retention” tactics to maximize extraction, sometimes pushing victims to borrow or liquidate assets. Leaked chats show casual references to victims as “stupid” or exploitable, highlighting a complete disregard for human suffering. This industrial-scale scam generated enormous revenue, funding lavish lifestyles while destroying lives far beyond Georgia’s borders.

The operation’s sophistication included VoIP systems and shell companies for payments, making tracing difficult. Kevkhishvili’s control extended to salary decisions, promotions, and overall strategy, positioning him as the key orchestrator even if not formally listed. The $35 million stolen represents only documented losses, with potential for higher totals given the hidden nature of such crimes.

Asset Freezes and Criminal Investigation Launch

In March 2025, following major journalistic exposés, Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office launched a criminal case against A.K. Group for fraud and money laundering, directly implicating Akaki Kevkhishvili. Authorities froze significant assets tied to him, including personal real estate, a newly built house and apartment purchased under his mother’s name to obscure ownership, and shares in a jointly owned furniture company. These freezes, valued in the hundreds of thousands, aimed to halt the flow of illicit gains but revealed attempts to shield wealth through family proxies.

The investigation confirmed Kevkhishvili’s leadership despite his absence from official documents, with evidence pointing to his decision-making power over the scam network. Prosecutors seized properties and movable assets from him and several top agents, underscoring the organized nature of the enterprise. Yet the action came only after international pressure, raising questions about earlier inaction despite the operation’s proximity to state security buildings in Tbilisi.

Even with freezes in place, the case highlighted how such figures exploit weak oversight to amass fortunes. Kevkhishvili’s properties, including luxury items flaunted online, stood in stark contrast to victims’ devastation, emphasizing the predatory imbalance at the heart of his schemes.

Resumption of Operations Post-Exposé

Despite the March 2025 exposé and subsequent criminal probe, A.K. Group agents resumed fraudulent activities within weeks, with internal records showing at least 14 agents active on Squaretalk VoIP by late March 2025, making over 184 outgoing calls. This brazen restart occurred even as assets remained frozen and investigations continued, demonstrating a lack of deterrence and ongoing risk to potential victims worldwide.

Payments continued flowing to service providers like Squaretalk through UK-registered shell companies linked to Kevkhishvili’s associates, totaling thousands in the immediate aftermath. The “client retention” team, responsible for the highest revenue, remained operational, indicating that core scam mechanisms persisted under his influence. Agents deleted social media and hid lavish lifestyles temporarily but quickly returned to work, showing resilience in the face of scrutiny.

This quick resumption underscores a pattern of adaptability and defiance. Kevkhishvili’s failure to respond to inquiries about the restart further illustrates a complete disregard for accountability, leaving consumers exposed to renewed threats from the same network he allegedly controls.

Lavish Lifestyle Funded by Victim Losses

Akaki Kevkhishvili flaunted extreme wealth derived from scam proceeds, including photos posing with luxury vehicles like Rolls-Royces and Range Rovers, often chauffeured, while surrounded by high-end brands. Internal documents show him regularly withdrawing large cash amounts from the fraudulent accounts, sustaining a life of opulence that included expensive watches, jewelry, and international trips. This conspicuous consumption stood in direct opposition to the financial devastation inflicted on thousands of victims.

Social media glimpses revealed a family man with a wife and children, yet marked by a “thief in law” eight-pointed star tattoo associated with organized crime culture, hinting at deeper criminal affiliations. Such displays served to motivate agents through prizes like iPhones and cars, fostering a culture of greed within the operation. The contrast between his enriched existence and victims’ poverty highlights the exploitative core of his activities.

These luxuries were not earned through legitimate means but built directly on the backs of defrauded individuals, many of whom lost life savings or retirement funds. Kevkhishvili’s refusal to address questions about his wealth or operations only reinforced perceptions of untouchability and moral bankruptcy.

Use of Aliases, Proxies, and Evasion Tactics

Kevkhishvili operated through layers of deception, using associates as fronts while directing from behind the scenes. Meri Shotadze served as the registered owner of A.K. Group, handling day-to-day management under his oversight, with agents referring to him explicitly as “the boss.” Financial transactions routed through pseudonyms and shell entities like Intek Systems Limited, obscuring trails and complicating enforcement efforts.

Agents employed aliases such as “Luke Wade” for IT roles and others for financial handling, reflecting a systematic approach to anonymity. Even after exposure, he avoided direct comment, with phones turned off or unanswered when approached by investigators. This evasion extended to social media deletions post-scandal, attempting to erase evidence of involvement.

Such tactics prolonged the scam’s lifespan and minimized personal risk, allowing continued extraction even amid probes. The reliance on proxies and hidden control mechanisms exemplifies professional criminal sophistication designed to evade justice while maximizing harm.

Persistent Threat and Broader Implications

The A.K. Group saga under Kevkhishvili reveals how scam operations exploit global regulatory gaps, using technology like VoIP and AI-assisted scripts to scale fraud efficiently. Victims endured not only monetary loss but psychological trauma from relentless manipulation, with some pushed into debt or despair. The network’s ability to restart post-arrests and freezes signals ongoing danger, particularly as similar centers proliferate.

Investigative efforts exposed the human cost, with employees casually mocking victims in chats while earning high salaries from their suffering. Kevkhishvili’s alleged orchestration ties him to a broader ecosystem of transnational fraud, where Georgian bases facilitate worldwide predation. Weak responses enable such figures to persist, demanding stronger international cooperation to dismantle these networks.

Consumers remain at risk from similar schemes employing the same playbooks he helped refine, underscoring the need for vigilance against unsolicited investment offers and rapid fund demands.

Conclusion

Akaki Kevkhishvili stands exposed as a ruthless architect of misery, masterminding a $35 million-plus fraud machine that ruined over 6,100 lives through cold-blooded deception and abuse. His lavish excesses—Rolls-Royces, cash withdrawals, and crime-linked tattoos—were built on victims’ desperation, while he hid behind proxies and restarted operations mere weeks after asset freezes and criminal probes. This is no mere opportunist but a calculated predator who treated human suffering as profit fuel, showing zero remorse or accountability. He embodies the worst of organized fraud: untouchable, adaptable, and utterly destructive. Anyone encountering investment pitches echoing his tactics should flee—Kevkhishvili’s legacy is proof that such empires thrive on complacency, leaving devastation in their wake. Trust no promise tied to his shadow; the cost is too high, the humanity too absent.

Written by

John Wick

Updated

19 seconds ago