Scammers posing as bankers lured money into "reserve accounts" in Mykolaiv

In Mykolaiv, a fraudulent call center operating in a rented apartment was exposed. According to the police, its employees posed as bank security officers, persuaded citizens to transfer their savings and directed the money to cards under their control.

The illegal activity was uncovered by investigators and operatives of the criminal investigation unit of the Mykolaiv District Police Department. The Department for Combating Cybercrime of the Mykolaiv Region of the Cyberpolice Department was also involved, and procedural supervision was provided by the Mykolaiv City District Prosecutor’s Office.

The suspects converted the rented apartment into an office and called potential victims from various subscriber numbers. They introduced themselves as bank employees and convinced interlocutors that their savings were allegedly at risk and that online banking protection needed to be strengthened.

After that, people were asked to transfer funds to the so-called “reserve bank account.” In reality, the money after transfer went to cards controlled by the scheme’s participants.

During investigative actions, law enforcement identified three suspects involved in the call center’s operations. At the office location they carried out a sanctioned search and seized:

• 23 mobile phones;
• computer devices;
• five laptops;
• charging stations;
• other material evidence.

The criminal proceedings are being investigated under Part 4 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — fraud committed by means of illegal operations using computer technology. The article’s sanction provides for up to eight years of imprisonment.

Investigators are currently identifying other possible participants in the scheme, the full list of victims and the total amount of losses. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.

The police emphasize that genuine bank employees do not demand by phone that you transfer money to “reserve”, “secure” or other accounts. After such a call you should not:

• give strangers your bank card details;
• disclose passwords and codes from SMS messages;
• transfer funds at the instruction of third parties.

Source: Mykolaiv Region Police.

Earlier we wrote:

• 317 votes: the Verkhovna Rada dismissed Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko
• When the “roof” began to leak: how call centers led NABU straight to the Prosecutor General’s office
• The High Anti-Corruption Court remanded the driver of an official from the Prosecutor General’s Office in custody with bail of 3 million UAH
• A criminal organization linked to fraudulent call centers was uncovered in the Prosecutor General’s Office
• Handed over a card for fraud — you could go to jail: the Rada backed new penalties