Authorities in Kyiv have uncovered a fraud scheme in which four individuals impersonated employees of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) to deceive elderly citizens. The suspects, aged between 23 and 29, are accused of swindling pensioners out of a total of 8.6 million UAH under the pretense of verifying their savings’ connections to an aggressor state.
The investigation, led by the Podil District Prosecutor’s Office, revealed that a 62-year-old woman was contacted by phone and told that her funds needed to be checked for links to hostile entities. Believing she was speaking with SBU agents, she handed over her savings, amounting to over $59,000 and nearly €5,000, which totals more than 2.8 million UAH.
Three other victims, aged 78, 81, and 88, also fell prey to the same scheme, transferring amounts of 1.3 million UAH, 3.1 million UAH, and 1.4 million UAH, respectively. After collecting the money, the fraudsters converted the funds into cryptocurrency through an exchange.
The investigation has identified two suspects as couriers responsible for collecting the money, while a third managed these couriers. The fourth suspect was tasked with ensuring the couriers did not abscond with the funds.
The actions of the accused have been classified as large-scale fraud, which carries a potential penalty of up to 12 years in prison along with asset confiscation. A court has placed the suspects under arrest, allowing for bail.
In a recent crackdown, Kyiv authorities arrested four individuals involved in a large-scale fraud targeting elderly citizens, resulting in losses exceeding 8 million UAH. The suspects impersonated security officials to extract money under false pretenses, leading to significant financial harm for the victims.