In the Dnipropetrovsk region, law enforcement officers have uncovered a fraudulent scheme to embezzle funds through the reissuance of SIM cards. Among the victims are residents of various regions of the country, including Kyiv, Poltava, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, and Volyn. The amount of losses is about one million hryvnias.
This is stated on the website of the National Police of Ukraine.
According to the investigation, the perpetrators operated under the “SIM-swap” fraud scheme. They posed as employees of a mobile operator and, under the guise of technical procedures, initiated the reissuance of SIM cards that were tied to the victims' bank accounts.
“Having gained control over the financial number, the suspects logged into mobile banking, changed the account details, and transferred funds to controlled accounts with subsequent withdrawals through ATMs and payment terminals. The total amount of losses established is about 1 million hryvnia. In some cases, the suspects not only took possession of the funds, but also tried to carry out additional illegal transactions with the victims' accounts,” law enforcement officials reported.
The police established that the organized group acted according to a previously developed plan and had a clear hierarchical structure: the organizer coordinated the actions of the participants, defined roles, provided the logistical base and distributed the funds received. Other participants searched for phone numbers of potential victims, reissued SIM cards, communicated with the victims, and were also engaged in further withdrawal and conversion of funds into cash.
“The police conducted a series of searches at the places of residence of the suspects in the Dnipropetrovsk region, as well as in their vehicles. During the investigative actions, mobile phones, SIM cards, bank cards, data carriers, SIM card packaging, and other physical evidence confirming illegal activities were seized,” the police website says.
Three members of the group were informed of suspicion under parts 2 and 3 of Article 27 Complicity in the commission of a criminal offense , as well as part 5 of Article 190 Fraud committed on a particularly large scale or by an organized group. Criminal Code of Ukraine. They face up to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property. Currently, the issue of choosing preventive measures in the form of detention for the suspects is being resolved.