From prison to the rental business: a man rented out nonexistent apartments and collected deposits

A 36-year-old resident of Synelnykove has been notified of suspicion of repeat fraud

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11 Oct 2026

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Шахрайство з орендою квартир через оголошення у Facebook та на OLX

Nine people lost a total of more than 57,000 hryvnias after paying deposits for apartments that were never provided to them. A 36-year-old resident of Synelnykove, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, has been notified of suspicion in a case involving rental fraud using non-existent housing.

According to investigators, the man used this scheme both while serving time in a correctional facility and after his release.

He posted long-term rental listings on Facebook and the OLX platform between June 2025 and June 2026. Potential tenants were offered apartments in the following locations:

Synelnykove;
Pavlohrad;
the settlement of Pokrovske;
the city of Lozova in Kharkiv Oblast.

The suspect posed as a property owner and assured people that he was ready to rent them a place to live. However, he made an advance payment a mandatory condition: the money had to be transferred to bank accounts he provided. The victims transferred between 3,500 and 15,000 hryvnias.

After receiving the money, the man failed to keep his promises. Investigators established that he had neither the ability nor the intention to rent out the apartments in question.

Investigators from the Synelnykove District Police Department documented 9 counts of fraud and gathered evidence linking the man to these crimes. He has been notified of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — fraud committed repeatedly. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.