Cyber police unmask scammers who defrauded EU 'investors'

Cyber police together with investigators of the National Police's Main Investigation Department and foreign colleagues stopped the group's activities and froze the assets of the swindlers in more than 20 countries. About it reports the Department of cyberpolice of the National police.

Since 2019, the scammers have created more than 100 web resources on which they offered depositors to receive super profits from investing in cryptocurrency and trading securities on virtual financial markets, - reported in cyberpolice.

The swindlers created call-centres in Ukraine and Georgia. Figurants selected operators with knowledge of foreign languages and taught them to use social engineering methods when communicating with "clients". The swindlers persuaded citizens to make significant investments.

The victims were persuaded to install special software. In this way, the swindlers gained remote access to the victims' computers and withdrew their savings to accounts under their control. The victims were mainly Swiss and German investors," the report said.

Ukrainian law enforcers together with colleagues from Eurojust and Europol, with the involvement of law enforcers from Georgia, Germany and Switzerland conducted a multi-level international operation to neutralise the transnational criminal group.

Massive searches were conducted in Ukraine and Georgia. Computer equipment, mobile phones, cash and documentation were seized. At the same time, the assets of the criminal group's organisers in more than 20 countries were frozen in the EU countries.

Investigators of the National Police are investigating criminal proceedings under Part 4 of Article 190 (Fraud) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The article provides for up to eight years of imprisonment.