SSU and National Police detain fraudster who extorted money from families of Ukrainian PoWs for ‘assistance with exchange’
The Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police shut down another scheme of extorting money from relatives of Ukrainian prisoners of war and missing persons. The perpetrator, who had cheated Ukrainian families out of tens of thousands of hryvnias, has been detained.
According to the investigation, the fraudster is a resident of Kharkiv who posed as a ‘member of a volunteer group’ supposedly engaged in PoWs exchange.
In return for money, he promised the affected families to bring home Ukrainian defenders who were held by ruscists or went missing during the fighting.
To find potential victims, the man created and personally administered a Telegram channel with a ‘thematic’ name.
To be convincing, when communicating with the victims, he referred to his supposed connections with representatives of the aggressor state who can ‘resolve the issue of the exchange’.
The victims transferred funds to the individual’s bank details. After the transactions, the fraudster continued to communicate and cheated people out of additional amounts, citing ‘new circumstances’.
Mobile phones, bank cards and other material evidence of the crime were seized during searches.
The detainee has been served a notice of suspicion under Article 190.4 of the CCU (large-scale fraud).
The suspect is in custody and faces up to 8 years in prison.
The operation was carried out under the procedural supervision of Kyiv Region Prosecutor’s Office.
Please note that the liberation of the prisoners of war is exclusively within the remit of state authorities!
If you or your friends are in a situation where unknown persons are demanding money for a ‘release’ of a relative from captivity, please contact the Joint Centre for the Search and Liberation of Prisoners of War immediately:
Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram: +38 067 650-83-32 or email: united_center@ssu.gov.ua