SSU exposes scammer posing as SSU officer and extorting money from families of Ukrainian prisoners
The SSU has shut down another criminal scheme of extorting money from relatives of Ukrainian prisoners of war and missing persons.
A local resident posing as a member of the SSU ‘search group’ was detained in Kyiv.
The scammer demanded from USD 8,000 to 10,000 to ‘assist’ people to find their relatives. The amount depended on the emotional state of the ‘clients’ and their payment ability.
To persuade, the offender boasted that he had acquaintances in the russian authorities who were solving the issue of returning Ukrainian prisoners of war home.
According to the investigation, the fraudster demanded that the victims transfer money to his bank cards, which were later seized during a search.
After receiving the money, he stopped communicating with the victims and never contact them again.
Moreover, the SSU have documented that the perpetrator posted fakes on social networks about raising money for cars for Ukrainian defenders.
Based on the evidence collected, SSU investigators have served him a notice of suspicion under Art. 190.4 of the CCU (large-scale fraud).
The detainee is currently in custody facing up to 8 years in prison.
The operation was carried out under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor General's Office.
Please note that freeing prisoners of war is the competence of government authorities.
If you or someone you know is in a situation where unknown persons are demanding money for ‘releasing’ of a relative from captivity, please contact the Joint Centre for Search and Liberation of PoWs immediately:
Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram: +38 067 650-83-32
or by e-mail: united_center@ssu.gov.ua
