In Kyiv, the SSU cyber units have neutralized a criminal organization that hacked Ukrainian bank accounts to steal funds from them.

As a result of the operation, 12 members of the group have been detained.

The SSU has documented that in just one of the episodes they had stolen over UAH 10 mln (USD 267,000) from a Kyiv notary’s deposit account. The money belonged to the Deposit Guarantee Fund and was intended to be paid to the affected depositors of liquidated banks.

According to the investigation, the hackers created malicious software that gave them access to depositors’ electronic accounts of one of Kyiv banks.

Their accomplices, working in several financial institutions in the capital, helped to look for potential victims.

Through them, the offenders obtained personal data of Kyiv residents who opened deposit accounts with the bank.

The cybercriminals then sent a phishing message to a depositor’s email, which was disguised as a ‘banking service update’ from the financial institution’s administration.

In this way, the hackers received a login and password to manage accounts and transferred money from them to bank cards registered for fictitious persons.

During the investigation, the SSU also found drug labs for cultivation of wholesale cannabis at the suspects’ homes.

They sold the cannabis through their connections among drug dealers.

During the searches of the suspects’ offices and homes, the SSU also found:

• computer equipment, bank cards and SIM cards of mobile operators with evidence of the crimes;
• a wholesale batch of cannabis worth almost UAH 8 mln (USD 213,000).

The detained individuals have been served notices of suspicion under the Articles of the CCU:

• 255.1 (creation, management of a criminal community or criminal organization, participation in it);
• 28.4, 361.3 (unauthorized interference in information (automated), electronic communication, information and communication systems, electronic communication networks);
• 28.4, 190.3 (fraud);
• 28.4, 307.3 (illegal production, manufacture, acquisition, storage, transportation, shipment or sale of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues).

The suspects are in custody, facing up to 12 years in prison.

The SSU carried out the operation jointly with the National Police under the supervision of Pechersk District Prosecutor’s Office in Kyiv.