Cyberpolice exposed a criminal group that seized citizens for 10 million hryvnias under a SIM card reissue scheme
At the disposal of those involved were databases of customers of mobile operators and banks. According to this information, they carried out a remote replacement of SIM cards of financial numbers for further access to online banking.
The criminal scheme was exposed by employees of the Cyber Police Department together with the Main Investigation Department of the National Police and employees of the bank's security service.
The three men, aged 32-36, bought customer databases of mobile operators and banking institutions on hacker forums in DarkNet. The available data allowed the defendants to re-issue SIM cards and access the victims' online banking. The money of citizens was withdrawn by the attackers to the accounts of fraudulent persons.
The personal data of the citizens involved were also used to apply for online loans.
Thus, fraudsters searched more than two hundred citizens. According to preliminary estimates, the amount of losses may reach 10 million hryvnias.
Law enforcement officers conducted 21 searches of the places of residence of the defendants in Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava regions and in Kyiv. The computer equipment that was used in illegal activities was seized and sent for expert research.
Criminal proceedings under Part 4 of Art. 190 (Fraud) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The defendants are declared under suspicion, they are threatened with up to twelve years in prison with confiscation of property.
Procedural guidance is carried out by the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. Investigative actions were carried out jointly with SBU employees.
Cyber Police Department of the National Police of Ukraine
