In Ukraine, law enforcement officers have uncovered the activities of a network of pseudo-investment centers, whose participants, under the guise of earning money from cryptocurrency, defrauded citizens of Ukraine and other countries. About 800 people may have suffered from the actions of the fraudsters, and the amount of damages exceeds UAH 40 million. This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General, writes UNN.
Under the procedural guidance of prosecutors from the cyber department of the Office of the Prosecutor General, the activities of a criminal organization whose participants, under the guise of investing in cryptocurrency, seized funds from citizens of Ukraine and other countries have been stopped
According to preliminary data, about 800 people may have suffered from the activities of the fraudulent network, and the total amount of damages exceeds UAH 40 million.
According to the investigation, the criminal scheme was organized by two residents of Kharkiv. They created an extensive structure with a clear distribution of roles among participants, financed its activities, and ensured conspiracy measures.
SMM specialists, managers, and so-called traders were involved in the functioning of the network. Through Facebook and Instagram, they advertised "easy earnings," pseudo-investment courses, and supposedly profitable cryptocurrency transactions. Subsequently, communication with potential victims was moved to WhatsApp, Telegram, and Discord.
Using social engineering methods, specialized software, and modern means of communication, members of the organization gained the trust of citizens and persuaded them to invest money in fictitious investment projects. At the same time, they found out their financial status, including the availability of savings, credit limits, valuable property, and the ability to borrow money.
Victims were persuaded to transfer money and crypto assets to controlled electronic wallets, carry out transactions on fictitious investment platforms, and in some cases, provide remote access to their own phones and computers.
To create the illusion of successful investing, fictitious profit growth was demonstrated. When people tried to return the invested funds, they were demanded additional payments supposedly for paying taxes, commissions, insurance, or unblocking accounts. The obtained digital assets were transferred through cryptocurrency exchanges, converted into cash, and appropriated.
Currently, the criminal proceedings have identified seven injured citizens of Ukraine who suffered damages of over UAH 10 million. Work to identify other victims is ongoing.
To stop the activities of the criminal organization, 12 searches were conducted in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Ivano-Frankivsk.
Four individuals, including two organizers, have been detained and notified of suspicion of organizing and participating in a criminal organization, as well as fraud committed by an organized group and on an especially large scale.
Their actions are qualified under Part 1, 2 of Article 255, Part 3 of Article 27, Part 4 of Article 28, Part 4, 5 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
At the request of prosecutors, the court chose preventive measures in the form of detention for all four suspects.
For three suspects, including two organizers, an alternative preventive measure in the form of bail of UAH 40 million each was set, and for another - UAH 1.5 million.