In Kyiv, scammers tricked people into paying rent for nonexistent apartments

A fraudulent scheme involving the rental of nonexistent housing was uncovered in Kyiv. The organizer posed as the owner of the apartments, a police colonel, or a military officer, while his two accomplices helped collect money from the victims.

According to the investigation, between 2023 and 2024, the suspects posted apartment rental listings online. To verify his identity, the fake owner sent potential tenants copies of documents and IDs—including genuine ones whose owners were unaware that their documents were being used.

The scammers demanded a security deposit, payment for the first and last months of rent, as well as money supposedly for notary services. They used bank accounts belonging to front men—so-called “drops”—for the money transfers.

As a result, six people were defrauded. After receiving the funds, the fake owner would cut off all contact.

The organizer of the scheme turned out to be a native of the Donetsk region who had fled to Russia. He and two accomplices were notified that they were suspected of fraud.

Source: Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office.

The scammers send text messages posing as representatives of “Ukrposhta” and ask recipients to pay a 30 UAH customs fee for a package. Clicking on the link provided in the message risks the theft of personal information and bank card details.

In the Lviv region, law enforcement officials uncovered a fraudulent call center whose employees, according to the investigation, defrauded citizens of Ukraine and other countries through dating platforms and messaging apps. They used fake female accounts to carry out the scheme. This is the first time in Ukraine that charges have been filed for organizing a fraudulent call center.