A fake SBU officer swindled over 128,000 dollars and 400,000 UAH (about 9,000 dollars) from a People's Artist of Ukraine in Kyiv; a participant in the fraudulent scheme has been notified of suspicion, the Office of the Prosecutor General reported on Thursday, according to UNN.
According to a UNN source, this is about Valentyna Antoniuk.
Details
"A man who, posing as an SBU employee, seized funds from a People's Artist of Ukraine has been notified of suspicion," the OPG stated.
According to the investigation, a 75-year-old Kyiv resident received a call from an unknown person who introduced himself as an SBU officer. "He informed her that the woman was allegedly suspected of high treason, and her savings had to undergo a check for Russian origin. To be convincing, they sent her forged subpoenas and conducted so-called searches via video link," the report says.
"Believing them, the woman handed over 128,000 US dollars, and later, after a second call, also transferred 400,000 UAH," the OPG reported.
Law enforcement established that "the money was received by a 36-year-old resident of the Sumy region, who transferred it to third-party crypto wallets through a currency exchange." "For his 'services,' he kept 900 dollars for himself," the statement said.
The suspect's actions are classified under Part 5 of Art. 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — complicity in fraud committed on an especially large scale. At the request of the prosecutor's office, the court chose a preventive measure for him — detention with an alternative of bail set at over 3.3 million UAH.
Other individuals involved in the scheme are being identified.