Scammers extorted money posing as SBU security officers inspecting funds
Law enforcement officers in Kyiv have notified two fraudsters of suspicion after they scammed five elderly citizens out of over UAH 14 million. The victims were residents of Kyiv and Chernihiv Oblast. This was reported by Glavcom citing Kyiv Police, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
Among the victims were five citizens aged 59 to 80, including four Kyiv residents and a woman from Chernihiv Oblast. The criminals operated a scheme involving phone calls posing as officers of the Security Service of Ukraine.
By applying psychological pressure, the perpetrators convinced victims to hand over cash allegedly for an “inspection” regarding possible financing of the aggressor state. To collect the money, they recruited other elderly citizens as couriers, deceiving them into fulfilling “special service tasks.”
Organization and Arrest of Scheme Participants
The investigation established that a 28-year-old Kyiv resident organized the scheme, recruiting watchers for couriers and converting proceeds into cryptocurrency. He was assisted by a 54-year-old accomplice.
Law enforcement officers arrested both suspects. During the arrest, police seized over UAH 1 million in various currencies from one figure, which he had just received from a 78-year-old Kyiv resident and failed to convert to crypto in time.
Legal Classification and Potential Penalties
Investigators informed the suspects of suspicion under Part 5 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which penalizes large-scale fraud committed by a group under martial law.
The sanction of the article carries a sentence of up to 12 years in prison along with the confiscation of property.
Photo: National Police of Ukraine
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