"You're collaborating with the enemy": pensioner gave scammers her last money after a phone call
An 86-year-old woman in Mykolaiv was swindled out of half a million: an "online search" and a courier took all her savings
In Mykolaiv, an 86-year-old local resident became the victim of a cynical fraud scheme — scammers extorted nearly half a million hryvnias from her, posing behind a fabricated case about “collaboration with the enemy”. According to the police, unknown persons called the woman via a messenger, introduced themselves as law enforcement officers and persuaded her that she was allegedly suspected of a criminal offense.
“They told me that a criminal case had been opened against me for collaboration with the enemy and that an online search needed to be conducted. Then they said the money had to be handed to a courier for verification, gave a code word — and I believed them and handed over all my savings”
The perpetrators found out that the woman had substantial savings, after which they organized the transfer of funds through a “courier”. An unknown woman came to the victim, to whom she handed over 165,500 hryvnias, more than 6,000 US dollars and 1 euro. After that, contact with the pseudo-law enforcers was cut off.
Investigators have opened a criminal case under Part 4 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — “Fraud”. The article’s sanction provides for up to 8 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property. The police are currently identifying the persons involved in the crime.
Law enforcement emphasizes: real police officers never conduct “searches” remotely and do not demand the handing over of money for “verification” or to avoid liability. Citizens are urged not to trust strangers and to contact the police immediately in case of suspicious calls.
Earlier we reported:
- One call – and minus 103 thousand: in Mykolaiv another woman fell for a fake banker
- Scammers deceived residents of the Mykolaiv region for over 600 thousand hryvnias
- “State treason” by phone: how a woman in Mykolaiv was intimidated and had all her money taken
- She wanted to “fix” a commission for her husband: in Mykolaiv a woman gave a scammer 4,500 dollars
- Phone scammers attack again: in Mykolaiv a pensioner lost 1.2 million hryvnias
