The members of the criminal organization were exposed by the cyber police of the Lviv region together with the investigative department of the Lviv district police department No. 2 of the regional headquarters under the procedural leadership of the Lviv regional prosecutor's office, with the assistance of PrivatBank security service employees.
Law enforcement officers identified two organizers of the illegal activity, who attracted six more accomplices aged from 20 to 40 years. The attackers created phishing links supposedly to official web resources of government agencies and banking institutions. Subsequently, such links were distributed among users of popular social networks and instant messengers. The victims were offered to receive financial assistance from the President of Ukraine, the UN, UNICEF and other organizations.
After citizens entered personal information on phishing websites, scammers gained access to their online banking accounts. The defendants also replaced financial phone numbers with controlled ones. In this method, the offenders took possession of the victims’ funds, which they “withdrew” using payment services and spent on their own needs.
During the pre-trial investigation, it was proven that using this method, members of the criminal organization managed to inflict more than 700 thousand hryvnia of damage.
Law enforcement officers conducted 14 searches with the force support of special forces from KORD and BPOP GUNP in the Lviv region in the places of residence and in the cars of the defendants. Computer equipment, data storage devices, mobile phones, bank and SIM cards, money totaling almost 400 thousand hryvnia, cars, as well as firearms and psychotropic substances were seized.
The attackers were detained in accordance with Art. 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine and announced suspicions. The actions of the defendants are qualified, depending on their participation in criminal activity, under several articles of the Criminal Code:
- part 4 art. 190 (Fraud);
- h.h. 1, 2 tbsp. 255 (Creation, management of a criminal community or criminal organization, as well as participation in it);
- part 5 art. 361 (Unauthorized interference with the operation of information (automated), electronic communication, information and communication systems, electronic communication networks).
Six offenders were given a preventive measure - detention without the right to post bail, and two more of their accomplices - detention with the right to post bail.
Now the indictment against eight members of the criminal organization has been sent to court. The defendants could face up to fifteen years in prison.
Law enforcement officers identified two organizers of the illegal activity, who attracted six more accomplices aged from 20 to 40 years. The attackers created phishing links supposedly to official web resources of government agencies and banking institutions. Subsequently, such links were distributed among users of popular social networks and instant messengers. The victims were offered to receive financial assistance from the President of Ukraine, the UN, UNICEF and other organizations.
After citizens entered personal information on phishing websites, scammers gained access to their online banking accounts. The defendants also replaced financial phone numbers with controlled ones. In this method, the offenders took possession of the victims’ funds, which they “withdrew” using payment services and spent on their own needs.
During the pre-trial investigation, it was proven that using this method, members of the criminal organization managed to inflict more than 700 thousand hryvnia of damage.
Law enforcement officers conducted 14 searches with the force support of special forces from KORD and BPOP GUNP in the Lviv region in the places of residence and in the cars of the defendants. Computer equipment, data storage devices, mobile phones, bank and SIM cards, money totaling almost 400 thousand hryvnia, cars, as well as firearms and psychotropic substances were seized.
The attackers were detained in accordance with Art. 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine and announced suspicions. The actions of the defendants are qualified, depending on their participation in criminal activity, under several articles of the Criminal Code:
- part 4 art. 190 (Fraud);
- h.h. 1, 2 tbsp. 255 (Creation, management of a criminal community or criminal organization, as well as participation in it);
- part 5 art. 361 (Unauthorized interference with the operation of information (automated), electronic communication, information and communication systems, electronic communication networks).
Six offenders were given a preventive measure - detention without the right to post bail, and two more of their accomplices - detention with the right to post bail.
Now the indictment against eight members of the criminal organization has been sent to court. The defendants could face up to fifteen years in prison.
