In Kyiv, law enforcement uncovered a large-scale fraudulent scheme, the victim of which was a doctor of medical sciences. Under the pretext of 'checking funds by the Security Service of Ukraine', the swindler convinced the retiree to hand over all his savings, which amounted to more than 11 million hryvnias. The police have already detained one of the participants in the scheme, but the organizers of the crime are still being sought. This was reported by the Main Directorate of the National Police in Kyiv.
The fraudster posed as a member of the Security Service of Ukraine
According to the investigation, an unknown person called the elderly man and claimed that he allegedly financed the aggressor country by purchasing goods of Russian origin online.
To avoid criminal liability, the fake Security Service employee suggested urgently 'declaring' all savings for verification.
Under pressure and out of fear of potential consequences, the retiree agreed to comply with the demands of the criminals.
The courier took the money and converted it to cryptocurrency
The victim handed over cash in various currencies totaling over 11 million hryvnias to the courier.
Law enforcement established that the intermediary was a 30-year-old resident of the Transcarpathian region, who had come specifically to Kyiv.
For his role, he received a reward of 500 dollars.
The man transferred the received funds to a cryptocurrency wallet, after which the money effectively vanished from the traditional financial system.
Why such schemes remain dangerous
Experts point out that such frauds are built on psychological pressure and intimidation.
Criminals employ several typical techniques:
- Pretend to be officials of government bodies
- Accuse a person of an offense
- Create a sense of urgency
- Do not leave time for information verification
- Require immediate transfer of money or personal data
The police remind that no government agency conducts 'fund checks' through cash handovers to couriers.
If a person receives a similar call, law enforcement advises to immediately terminate the conversation and contact the agency through official channels.
It is worth noting that in Ukraine, journalists discovered a fraudulent scheme organized from Russia, in which criminals are massively deceiving elderly people.