A criminal group defrauded Latvians of UAH 6 million through fake cryptocurrency investments - the organizers have been detained
Kyiv • UNN
The criminal group operated under the guise of cryptocurrency investments through fake brokerage platforms. The organizer and three perpetrators have been notified of suspicion and face up to 12 years in prison.
An organized criminal group has been exposed in Ukraine for defrauding Latvian citizens of more than 6 million hryvnias. In particular, investments in cryptocurrency were offered through fake brokerage platforms. This is reported by the National Police of Ukraine, writes UNN.
As part of an international multi-stage special operation, Ukrainian police officers, together with foreign colleagues, exposed a criminal group that defrauded Latvian citizens of more than UAH 6 million by offering to invest in cryptocurrency through fake brokerage platforms
According to the information, the perpetrators acted since 2022, organizing a fraudulent scheme under the guise of investments in cryptocurrency. For this purpose, they created fake brokerage platforms that visually resembled legal trading sites. Work with potential victims was organized through an extensive network of call centers in Ukraine.
In addition, the defendants actively advertised their pseudo-investment services through social networks, and used social engineering methods to potential clients, promising super profits. At the same time, fraudsters persuaded victims to install remote access software, which gave them control over the victims' devices and access to their financial data.
In order to legalize illegally obtained funds, the members of the group registered as FOPs and received payments allegedly for services in the field of computer programming.
Currently, investigators of the National Police have established that the total amount of losses to victims exceeds UAH 6 million in equivalent
"Ukrainian cyber police officers, together with foreign colleagues, documented the illegal activities of the criminal group, collected digital evidence, and also tracked the movement of virtual assets from the wallets of victims to the final recipients, etc.", - the law enforcement officers also noted.
It is reported that law enforcement officers, with the силової support of special units of the TacTeam Department of Patrol Police, conducted more than 30 searches in several regions of Ukraine at the places of illegal activity, residence of the defendants, in vehicles, etc.
In particular, the participants of the scheme seized computer equipment, server equipment, crypto wallets, mobile phones, rough notes, bank cards, flash drives, as well as elite cars purchased with stolen funds. The seized valuables have been seized by the court.
The organizer of the criminal scheme and three executors were notified of suspicion under Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (fraud). They face up to 12 years of imprisonment. At the request of the investigators, the suspects were chosen preventive measures, in particular, detention and round-the-clock house arrest.
Currently, a pre-trial investigation is ongoing, as well as all persons involved in illegal activities are being identified.