A large-scale fraud scheme has unfolded in Dnipropetrovsk region, resulting in relatives of missing or captured Ukrainian soldiers losing nearly three million hryvnias
Law enforcement agencies in the region have documented the activities of an organized criminal group that systematically exploited human suffering and trust to profit from the grief of families and loved ones of Ukraine’s defenders. According to the investigation, the group of scammers intentionally searched social media for announcements and posts about missing or detained Ukrainian soldiers. They carefully monitored the news and contacted relatives via messaging apps, offering “help” in retrieving their loved ones from captivity or during treatment. The most alarming aspect is that the criminals used a trusting approach, impersonating representatives of charitable organizations or military structures to gain the victims’ confidence. During conversations, the scammers began to craft their “offer”: using false guarantees and promises to quickly recover the missing person or do everything possible to save them, they demanded significant sums of money. Desperate victims, eager to rescue their loved ones, transferred money to bank accounts controlled by the criminals. As a result, the perpetrators received at least 3 million hryvnias, which quickly disappeared from circulation. To date, law enforcement has identified 14 victims from different regions of Ukraine. Searches at the suspects’ locations resulted in the seizure of mobile phones, documents, substantial cash, and bank cards, confirming the criminal activities of the organized group members. All three suspects have been formally charged under Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — fraud committed on a particularly large scale and as part of an organized group. They are currently under bail, and investigators are actively examining their involvement in an additional 12 episodes of fraudulent operations with total losses of around 5 million hryvnias. However, investigators do not rule out that the criminal network might have more extensive connections and operate across several regions of Ukraine. This case once again highlights the problem of Ukrainian citizens’ trustfulness and the need to be more cautious about offers that seem too good to be true. The local police urge citizens to be extremely careful, refrain from sending money to strangers, and to report any suspicious contacts or scams to law enforcement authorities to protect themselves and their loved ones from such criminal schemes. We promise to keep the public informed about further developments, as fighting against scammers in wartime remains an urgent necessity for our society.