The SBU has uncovered a network of crypto scammers in Kyiv with a turnover in the millions
The SBU and the National Police dismantled a large-scale criminal network in Kyiv that stole funds from the crypto wallets of European Union citizens. According to law enforcement officials, the monthly turnover of the fraudulent scheme reached $1 million at certain times.
The organizer of the criminal group turned out to be a 25-year-old IT specialist from Kyiv. He recruited several dozen IT professionals from the capital to participate in the illegal activity, who posed as representatives of legitimate cryptocurrency platforms.
To find potential victims, the criminals mass-distributed advertisements for supposedly high-yield investment projects on popular Telegram channels. To convince clients of the reliability of the investments, the scammers showed them fake trading results and fabricated metrics of successful transactions.
Once contact was established, victims were sent a link to a phishing website that completely mimicked a well-known cryptocurrency service. On this site, users were persuaded to connect their own virtual wallets and confirm the proposed transaction.
Specially designed malicious code, known as a “drainer,” granted the scammers full access to the victims’ assets once the transaction was confirmed. As a result, the attackers instantly transferred all digital funds to online addresses under their control, completely emptying the victims’ accounts.
During 23 searches of the suspects’ offices and residences, law enforcement officers seized computer equipment, mobile phones containing evidence of the scheme, and cash. In addition, 16 luxury vehicles were discovered, including Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz models.
The issue of notifying the group’s members of their status as suspects within the criminal proceedings is currently being resolved. For the crimes committed, the suspects face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.
Source: SBU
Earlier in Dnipro, fraudulent call centers were exposed, and computers and weapons were seized.
On August 31, a network of call centers organized by “Khimprom” to recruit drug dealers in Kazakhstan was uncovered in Ukraine. Law enforcement officers detained seven participants in the criminal scheme.
The SBU exposed Russian agents who were directing strikes on Zaporizhzhia.
In Khmelnytskyi, Prokopenko, the head of the regional SBU office, was detained.
As a reminder, a man was detained in Odesa after firing shots at TCC employees.
Ukrainian businessman Dmytro Karchuk was detained at the border in Poland.
A veteran of the Kraken special forces unit was detained in Kyiv.
