Cyberpolice stopped the criminal activity of a group of fraudsters who stole money from citizens' bank cards
Using social engineering techniques, the attackers asked people for bank card information and appropriated money from their accounts. The amount of damage reaches more than one million hryvnias.
The fraudulent scheme was exposed by employees of the Cyber Crime Control Department in the Kharkiv region together with the Kharkiv Police Investigative Department.
The activities of the criminal group were organized by 23-year-old roommates. They attracted their familiar peers to illegal activities, for which they developed detailed instructions. So, for example, one of the accomplices called users of a trading Internet platform that placed ads for the sale of goods. During the conversation, the defendant simulated the desire to make a purchase and asked the seller for details for payment. Also, the attacker noted that the money for the goods will come to the seller at a certain time.
Further, at this time, the victim was called by another member of the criminal group, under the guise of an employee of the bank's security service and informed that it was necessary to activate a credit card to transfer money. The attackers dictated the details of the controlled accounts to the victims, issuing them with credit card activation codes. In this way, they transferred the money of the victims to their own accounts. The total amount of damage caused to the victim reaches more than one million hryvnias.
In the homes of the defendants and in their cars, police officers conducted searches. Computer equipment and mobile phones have been removed. Searches were carried out with the involvement of employees of the special purpose police regiment of the Kharkiv region police.
At the moment, five defendants have been declared under suspicion of Art. 255 (Creation, leadership of a criminal organization, as well as participation in it), part 3 of Art. 190 (Fraud) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Suspects face up to twelve years in prison with confiscation of property. The issue of choosing a precautionary measure is being resolved. Investigative actions continue. Procedural management is carried out by the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.
Cyber Police Department of the National Police of Ukraine
