Ukraine plans to introduce criminal liability for transferring or receiving bank cards, accounts, and access to them for subsequent use in fraudulent and other criminal schemes.
On September 15, 2026, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in principle Presidential Bill No. 16013, “On Amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine and the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine Regarding the Protection of Citizens and Their Funds from Illegal Actions Involving Payment Instruments and Bank Accounts.”
A total of 299 members of parliament voted in favor of the bill in its first reading. The bill was registered on September 2 and designated by the president as urgent. According to the Verkhovna Rada, it is currently being prepared for its second reading.
The legislative changes are aimed, in particular, at so-called “drops” or “money mules”—people who transfer bank cards, accounts, account details, or access to online banking to third parties to conduct financial transactions.
The urgency of the issue is confirmed by data from OpenDataBot, published on October 2. Using the “Babusia” court registry search engine, at least 16 convictions were found over the past nearly eight years involving schemes that used drop accounts.
In 81% of these cases, the “drops” were part of schemes related to drug trafficking, and in 19%, to online fraud.
In 75% of the verdicts found, the primary punishment was imprisonment. Sentences ranged from two to ten years, although in eight cases, the defendants were granted probation. In four other verdicts, the primary punishment was a fine.
The fines specified in the court rulings ranged from 98,600 UAH to 850,000 UAH. In one of the identified rulings, the court also ordered the defendant to pay the victim 8.65 million UAH in compensation for material and moral damages.
It is important to note that the presence of a “drop” in the case files does not yet mean that the account holder was convicted specifically for transferring their card or bank details. As OpenDataBot points out, in some of the analyzed verdicts, “drops” were one element of a broader criminal scheme, and the convicted individuals may have played other roles.
Draft Law No. 16013 aims to address precisely this legal loophole; it provides for separate liability for unauthorized transactions involving payment instruments and bank accounts.
However, as of October 2, the bill has not yet become law. It has only passed its first reading, so the final provisions and liability may change as the bill is prepared for its second reading.
