Scam for half a million: fraudsters who robbed Ukrainians in Poland on the Internet were arrested in Dnipro

In a recent operation conducted by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, a criminal network operating from an ordinary apartment in Dnipro was dismantled, revealing a sophisticated fraud scheme that targeted Ukrainians working in Poland. Here is a detailed account of how the fraudsters executed their plan and how the police managed to apprehend them.

The Fraud Scheme

The perpetrators established an office within a regular apartment in Dnipro, Ukraine, where they conducted their fraudulent activities. Their primary targets were Ukrainian citizens working in Poland. The criminals employed a deceptive tactic where they summoned these individuals and posed as representatives of Polish banks. They informed the victims that their bank accounts had been blocked, sparking fear and urgency.

To gain unauthorized access to the victims' mobile phones and bank accounts, the fraudsters convinced them to install a specially crafted application on their devices. This application granted the criminals remote access to the victims' gadgets and financial accounts, providing them with the means to siphon money from the victims' bank accounts.

Police Operation and Arrests

Law enforcement authorities, aware of this fraudulent operation, conducted a special operation to identify and apprehend those responsible. The operation included approximately 40 searches and resulted in the seizure of significant evidence. Among the items confiscated were approximately UAH 2 million in various currencies, luxury vehicles, work-related documents, telephone and computer equipment, bank cards, and SIM cards from mobile operators.

A total of 13 individuals were detained as part of this operation. Notably, two of these detainees were identified as local criminal authorities, and they have been notified of suspicion regarding their involvement in creating, managing, and participating in a criminal organization, as well as committing fraud. These charges fall under Article 255, part 1 and 2, Article 28, part 4, and Article 190, part 4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

A Growing Threat: Remote SIM Card Replacement

Ukrainian law enforcement has emphasized the increasing use of remote SIM card replacement by fraudsters to gain unauthorized access to financial phone numbers and subsequently withdraw money from bank accounts. Criminals often employ the following tactics:

• Multiple Calls: Fraudsters make repeated calls to their victims, often impersonating taxi companies or various organizations.
• SIM Recovery: They request a SIM card recovery service from the mobile operator, using the phone numbers from their previous calls to identify the subscriber.
• Reconnaissance: In some cases, criminals transfer small amounts to a mobile account to ascertain the date of the last top-up.

To protect oneself against such fraudulent schemes, the police recommend the following precautions:

• Prohibit remote SIM card replacement or the switch to a mobile operator's contract service.
• Use only the official application of your bank.
• Regularly review your transaction history.
• Avoid making payment transactions from devices belonging to other people.
• Safeguard personal information, including PINs, CVVs, bank card validity periods, SMS codes for transaction confirmation, and online banking passwords.
• This successful police operation serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance and security in an increasingly digital world, where criminals continually devise new methods to defraud individuals of their hard-earned money.