SBU Cybersecurity exposed and blocked in Kyiv the activity of an SMM manager, who spread fake news about COVID-19 via the Internet to chase new clients.

SBU employees established, that Russian advertisers who run online courses on SMM, offered to promote sites and Internet-pages to their student from Kyiv. The man created his own Telegram channel and different groups in popular messengers.

The detainee confessed to spreading Internet content, received from Russian “tutors”. The information was aimed to create artificial panic or called for violation of quarantine.

Using recommendations of Russian curators, the man posted fake news about
COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine from unverified and Russian sources. The posts were targeted at Kyiv residents. It was recorded, that these posts created preconditions for panic, discredit of the authority and destabilization of socio-political situation.

SBU Cybersecurity experts emphasize that Russian special services attempt to use “blindfolded” Ukrainian citizens via their agent networks, in particular, by manipulating irresponsible Internet users into spreading fake news and provocative content. In some cases, such “collaboration” ends up in recruitment and high treason.

As of now, the exposed citizen fully admitted his guilt, started to actively cooperate with law enforcement and gave access to all his accounts and communities.

The recorded materials are submitted to the National Police for the adoption of further procedural decision.

SBU notes that persons who deliberately cause destabilization, including via the Internet, are criminally prosecuted.

SBU encourages Internet users not to be ignorant, pay attention to the Internet security, and also trust information from the official sources only.