Up to 8 years for “drops” — Parliament backed introducing liability for handing over bank cards

The Verkhovna Rada adopted bill No. 16013 as a basis to strengthen the protection of citizens’ bank accounts against cyber fraud. The document provides for criminal liability for transferring cards and access to accounts. This was reported by UNN, citing a parliamentary session. 

Details

According to the bill, amendments are planned to Article 200 of the Criminal Code, including changing its title to "Illegal actions involving payment instructions/payment messages/payment orders, payment instruments and other means of access to a bank and/or payment account".  

In particular, the counterfeiting or falsification of payment instructions/payment messages/payment orders, payment instruments, other means of access to a bank and/or payment account, electronic wallets, or individual account information will be punishable by a fine of UAH 51,000 to UAH 85,000, restriction of liberty for a term of two to four years, or imprisonment for the same term. 

It is also proposed to establish that the misappropriation, theft, acquisition through deception or abuse of trust, or acquisition by any other criminally unlawful means of payment instruments, individual account information or other means of access to them, as well as unlawful access to a bank and/or payment account or electronic wallet, will be punishable by a fine of UAH 85,000 to UAH 136,000, restriction of liberty for a term of three to five years, or imprisonment for the same term. 

The bill supplements the Criminal Code with Article 200-1, "Transfer, receipt, acquisition, storage or other acquisition of payment instruments for the commission of a criminal offense."

Thus, the transfer, receipt, acquisition, storage or other acquisition of payment instruments, data for accessing them, bank or payment accounts, or electronic wallets, if carried out with the aim of committing fraud or another criminal offense, will carry a fine of UAH 5,100 to UAH 17,000. 

For receiving, purchasing, storing, selling or transferring another person’s payment instruments for criminal purposes, a fine of UAH 51,000 to UAH 170,000, restriction of liberty for 2–5 years, or imprisonment for 2–6 years is proposed.

If committed repeatedly or by an organized group, the punishment will be imprisonment for 5–8 years.

Let us recall

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted two bills to the Verkhovna Rada on strengthening liability for organizing fraudulent call centers, as well as for organizing schemes involving "drops".