ADWorld founder taken into custody following Kun.uz investigation

ADWorld Group LLC, which operated without a license while offering job placement services abroad, has finally come under the attention of law enforcement agencies.

Kun.uz had previously published several investigative reports on ADWorld. In particular, the company attracted clients through advertising with the help of popular bloggers, charging each person between nearly UZS 6 million and UZS 26 million, but failing to deliver the contractual services promised in return. Many citizens, frustrated over being unable to recover their money, had filed complaints.

The information service of the Tashkent city police department told Kun.uz that a criminal case has been opened under Article 168, part 4(a) of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code (fraud in a very large amount). A preventive detention measure has been applied against Dilmurod Yusupov, director of Word of Master LLC. Investigative actions are ongoing. The activities of ADWorld Group LLC are being examined within the framework of this criminal case.

The capital’s police department also added that those who suffered losses from ADWorld should report to the Investigation Department of the Chilanzar district police office.

Earlier, the Migration Agency determined that ADWorld Group had been illegally providing overseas job placement services without a license and imposed a fine of UZS 112.5 million on the company. Since the fine was not paid voluntarily, collection proceedings through the court were initiated.

In a previous interview with Kun.uz, the company’s founder and manager, Dilmurod Yusupov, claimed that he was unaware such activities could not be carried out without a license.

As the ADWorld case gained wide attention on social media, some bloggers who had promoted the company expressed embarrassment over their role in misleading their audiences and began compensating followers for the losses they suffered.