An Individual Entrepreneur’s Account in a Fraud Scheme: Mykolaiv Region Resident Loses Nearly 200,000
The account holder sold third parties access to online banking
A purchase through a popular online marketplace cost a resident of Mykolaiv Oblast about 200,000 hryvnias. In September 2026, the man paid a deposit into an individual entrepreneur’s account. The account holder had given third parties access to his banking details. The buyer never received the goods he had paid for. According to stopfraud.gov.ua.
The man chose a listing with an attractive price. The seller agreed to the deal only if the buyer paid in full in advance, and suggested transferring the money to an individual entrepreneur’s account (FOP). The buyer complied, but the goods were never sent, and the correspondence with the seller was later deleted.
It later emerged that the account holder had received payment for handing over his personal information and access to banking apps to other people. That account was used in the fraud scheme.
Such intermediaries are known as “drops” or “money mules.” In exchange for payment, they give third parties their bank cards, account details, or access to online banking. Another arrangement is to receive transfers and forward the money, keeping a small percentage.
The account holder risks more than losing access to banking services. Banks monitor suspicious transactions and may restrict services for accounts involved in such schemes. If there are grounds and evidence that a person knowingly participated in a criminal scheme, they may face criminal charges and even imprisonment.
Scammers actively recruit intermediaries on social media, Telegram channels, gaming communities, and job-search groups. Offers of easy money with no experience or special skills are particularly appealing to potential recruits.
Recruited individuals often believe they are doing ordinary financial work. In reality, their accounts may be used to transfer funds obtained through fraud, stolen from members of the public, or linked to other illegal activities.
Cybersecurity experts recommend following these rules to avoid becoming involved in fraudulent operations:
- Do not give other people your bank cards, PINs, mobile banking passwords, or SIM cards linked to financial phone numbers.
- Be especially wary of offers to receive transfers from strangers and immediately forward the money to other accounts in exchange for a fee. Such terms are a serious warning sign of a possible fraud scheme.
- If money unexpectedly arrives on your card from an unknown sender, contact your bank and report the suspicious transaction.
- Do not transfer the money yourself to account details provided by a stranger claiming to be the sender.
Additional resources on protecting yourself from online fraud are available here:
- The Cyber Brama platform.
- The BRAMA channel on Telegram.
- The official website stopfraud.gov.ua.
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