Law enforcers in Odessa exposed a criminal group, which realized a large-scale fraudulent scheme with the use of fictitious investment platforms, reports the press service of the National police of Ukraine.
“Attackers created websites of non-existent companies, whose names were periodically changed in order to conspire criminal activity, where they placed false information about allegedly entrepreneurial activities in the field of arbitrage advertising traffic and cryptocurrency assets. Potential investors were offered to register personal accounts, where they could choose a certain investment plan, fund their accounts and “receive dividends”. In reality, the funds were immediately accumulated on the controlled crypto wallets of the participants of the fraudulent scheme. Having reached the goal, they stopped communication with the victims”, – is indicated in the message.
According to the investigation, organized “business” 28-year-old resident of Odessa, attracting to its implementation a group of persons, including a specialist in the IT-sector, which created and administered the websites of fictitious companies, as well as “callers” who contacted potential victims. The participants worked both remotely and from specially equipped offices in Odessa, which functioned as call centers.
Law enforcers established a cryptocurrency wallet controlled by the attackers, the total amount of proceeds to which exceeded UAH 24 million in 2024-2025. For conspiracy, the figures controlled it from a private key, which did not belong to any known service or exchange.
“According to preliminary data, the actual number of victims, including foreigners, may exceed 1,500 people, to establish which it is necessary to conduct a number of investigative actions, including in the framework of international cooperation,” – said the police.
To solve the crime, a joint investigative team between the competent authorities of Ukraine and the Republic of Kazakhstan has been created. With the involvement of special units of the NPU, GUNP in Odessa region and employees of the Department of cyberpolice of the Republic of Kazakhstan was conducted a number of searches and seized a number of evidence of illegal activities.
So far, the police have documented illegal activities of the group’s members against seven investors from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and other countries. The damage caused to the investors amounts to $92 thousand.
Investigators detained eight members of the group, another one is wanted. In the presence of sufficient evidence, all the defendants are reported on suspicion of taking possession of other people’s property by deception, i.e. fraud, committed by prior conspiracy of a group of persons, through illegal operations with the use of electronic computers, under martial law, in especially large amounts.
According to the sanction of part 5 of article 190 (fraud) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the perpetrators face up to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.
