The SSU Counterintelligence, in cooperation with the National Police, has dismantled another fraudulent scheme aimed at extorting money from Ukrainian citizens.

As a result of a series of coordinated operations in Sumy, the law enforcement team uncovered a clandestine call centre and detained four of its organisers. The suspects defrauded victims by posing as individuals with whom they had allegedly established close personal relationships online.

The investigation established that the perpetrators operated two separate schemes, adapting their methods to the age and financial capacity of their targets.

To deceive teenagers, the scammers created fake profiles of young women and used them to initiate contact via a specially created Telegram channel, arranging supposed ‘dates’. Upon arrival at the designated meeting location, victims were instructed to take a geotagged selfie. The perpetrators then sent a video showing an individual in a russian military uniform threatening to strike the provided coordinates.

Subsequently, the scammers – posing as Ukrainian law enforcement officers – contacted the minors, accusing them of treason and threatening imprisonment unless a ransom was paid.

Victims were coerced into handing over cash and jewellery, which the suspects collected using taxi services.

The fraudsters also targeted servicemembers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Using fake female profiles, they engaged soldiers in prolonged communication before requesting money under false pretences, such as medical treatment or education expenses. After receiving the funds, the perpetrators ceased all contact and deleted the accounts along with the correspondence.

During searches of the call centre premises and the suspects’ homes, the investigators seized computer equipment, mobile phones, and bank cards containing evidence of the crimes. Cash and jewellery obtained through fraudulent means were also recovered.

The scammers have been notified of suspicion under Article 190.5 of the CCU (fraud, committed on a particularly large scale, by an organised group).

They are currently in custody and face up to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.

The operation was carried out by the SSU Office in Sumy region jointly with the National Police under the procedural supervision of the regional Prosecutor’s Office.