In Kharkiv, a scammer was exposed who created chaos around the heart of the Ukrainian volunteer movement
In Kharkiv, law enforcement officials uncovered a 31-year-old man suspected of creating an illusion of charitable activity to support the Ukrainian military, but in reality, using this method to deceive citizens and enrich himself. According to the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, investigators established at least 30 instances of receiving money from concerned citizens from different regions of the country, who transferred 3-4 thousand hryvnias each to charitable accounts. According to the investigation, the offender created a fake profile on the social network Facebook supposedly under the name Oleg Reshetniak. In this account, he regularly posted announcements about fundraising efforts for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, promising to help the military, but at the same time, provided his personal bank details for transfers. To avoid detection and traces of his activities by law enforcement, the scammer did not use a SIM card for mobile communication; instead, he connected to the internet via Wi-Fi and communicated with potential donors on behalf of the fictitious person. The collected funds were used by the man for his personal needs, abusing the trust of honest citizens. Investigators informed the man of suspicion for repeated fraud under Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. This is not the first such case: in March, law enforcement in Khmelnytskyi exposed a group of pseudo-volunteers who were selling cars supposedly intended for Ukrainian defenders, attempting to profit personally from the proceeds. Such situations once again highlight the importance of being cautious when transferring money for voluntary charitable purposes and verifying the legitimacy of such initiatives. Ukrainian society remains open to helping and supporting the army, but must also stay vigilant against those who hide behind noble goals only for their own enrichment. Law enforcement officials urge citizens to be attentive, avoid transferring funds to suspicious accounts, and always verify the legitimacy of any charitable collections.